Category Archives: The Body

The Body

Flip Your Fat-Burning Switch!

You could shrink a size (or more) this month by adding high-intensity walks to your routine. You’ll burn more fat during and after your workouts. And there are options to fit everyone’s needs—a 10-minute routine for busy days and an indoor option for rainy weather. 

If your walking outside or on a treadmill here is an easy way to get more out of your routine to help burn more fat.  All you need is a watch.  Warm up with about 5-10 min of walking, after that walk at a brisk fast pace or run for 2 minutes, walk at a slower pace for the next 3 minutes. Repeat this for 45 minutes of your workout. 2 minutes at a vigorous pace 3 minutes at a recovery pace. You’ll be burning more fat in no time.  Let’s face it the countdown is on to warm weather clothing!

The Body

chocolate cherry stack cake

Here is another Sweet treat for Valentines Day, hope you got your workout out in to make up for these treats, but hey it’s Valentines day, go for it!!
ingredients
•3/4  cup plus 1 tsp.  all-purpose flour
•1/31  tsp.  baking powder
•1/2  tsp.  baking soda
•1/2  tsp.  ground cinnamon
•1/4  tsp.  salt
•1/3  cup  unsalted butter, softened
•3/4  cup  sugar
•2    eggs
•1  tsp.  vanilla
•1/2  cup  sour cream
•1  Recipe  Cherry or Chocolate Frosting, recipe below
•1  Recipe  Chocolate-Dipped Cherries, recipe below (optional)
directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6×2-inch round cake pans or springform pans. Mix 1 teaspoon each flour and cocoa powder; dust pans. Set pans aside.
2. In bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.
4. Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.
5. Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with Chocolate-Dipped Cherries. Serves 8.
Cherry Frosting: In chilled large mixing bowl combine one 8-ounce carton sour cream. 1 cup whipping cream (do not use ultra-pasteurized whipping cream), 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat with chilled beaters on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Chocolate Frosting:In a chilled large mixing bowl combine one 8-ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream (do not use ultra-pasteurized whipping cream), 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Beat with chilled beaters on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Chocolate-Dipped Cherries: Drain 16 maraschino cherries with stems; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening. Cook on 50 percent power (medium) 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.
Alphabet Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake batter, above. Line sixteen 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill each cup with two slightly rounded tablespoons of cake batter. Bake 18 minutes or until top springs back. Cool completely on wire rack. To assemble, top each cupcake with Cherry or Chocolate Frosting, above, (you will have some frosting left over). Top with Alphabet Cookies, recipe below.
Alphabet Cookies:On a lightly floured surface knead 1/3 cup all-purpose flour into 1/2 of a 16.5-ounce package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Roll dough 1/4-inch thick. Brush lightly with water; sprinkle with coarse red sugar. Cut 16 small cookies for cupcakes and cut remainder into desired shapes. Bake small cookies in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 6 minutes; bake larger cookies 7 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Use to decorate cupcakes.
nutrition facts
•Servings Per Recipe 8 servings Calories492, Total Fat (g)29, Saturated Fat (g)18, Monounsaturated Fat (g)8, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, Cholesterol (mg)132, Sodium (mg)250, Carbohydrate (g)56, Total Sugar (g)41, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)6, Vitamin C (DV%)1, Calcium (DV%)13, Iron (DV%)8, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
The Body

For Your Sweetheart on Valentines Day!

Celebrate Valentines Day with these yummy treats!

red velvet cupcakes
ingredients
•3    eggs
•3/4  cup  butter
•3  cups  all-purpose flour
•2  tsp.  unsweetened cocoa powder
•2-1/4  cups  sugar
•1-1/2  tsp.  vanilla
•1  1-oz. bottle  red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
•1-1/2  cups  buttermilk
•1-1/2  tsp.  baking soda
•1-1/2  tsp.  vinegar
•Small chocolate heart-shaped cookies (optional)
• Powdered sugar (optional)
directions
1. Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 28 2-1/2-inch cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.
2. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 tsp. salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. One at a time, add eggs; beat on medium after each. Beat in food coloring on low.
3. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on low to medium sped after each just until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar. Add to batter; beat just until combined.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 15 to 17 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely. Top with small chocolate cookies, if desired. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 28 servings.
nutrition facts
•Calories 172, Total Fat (g)6, Saturated Fat (g)3, Monounsaturated Fat (g)2, Cholesterol (mg)36, Sodium (mg)124, Carbohydrate (g)28, Total Sugar (g)17, Protein (g)3, Calcium (DV%)2, Iron (DV%)4, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
The Body

Don’t forget to value your friendships!

Is there anything better in life than good friends?  Who we ride with, who we hang with, those relationships are the best and here is why……
1.  When you are sad ~  your friend  will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the  sorry bastard who made you sad.
2.  When you are blue ~ your friend  will try to dislodge whatever is choking  you.
3  When you smile ~ your friend will know you are thinking of something that he/she would  probably want to be involved in.
4.  When you are scared ~ your friend  will rag on you about it every chance he/she gets until you’re  NOT.
5.  When  you are worried ~  your friend  will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it  could be until you quit whining.
6.  When you are confused ~ your friend  will try to use only little words.
7..  When  you are sick  ~  your friend  will say “Stay  the hell away from me until you are well again. I don’t  want whatever you have..”
8.  When you fall ~ your friend will laugh at your clumsy ass, but will help you  up.
The Body

Empty Calories, Stay Away

There are 2 main ingredients to losing weight and achieving fitness goals.  Exercise and Nutrition.  For some, one can be much easier over the other.  For instance someone may have no problem staying away from bad foods and eating all the right things but can’t for the life of them can’t drag themselves to the gym or get outside and walk, run or do anything active.  Then you might have someone who is so committed to working out and exercising, but if you put any junk food in front of them they will gobble it down.  For most it’s going to come down to finding that perfect balance.    Today we wanted to talk about empty calories and helping those who have trouble with the nutrition side of this recipe for success.
You may have read the term “empty calories,” or heard it used by nutritionists. But what does it mean?
Empty Calories = High Calories but Low Nutrition
“Empty Calories” describes foods high in calories but low in nutritional values (also known as junk food!), lacking the health-promoting micro-nutrients
Examples of foods containing mostly Empty Calories
•French fries, fried chicken, chips and all other deep-fried foods
A large order of fries from a fast food chain can contain up to 570 calories with a whopping 30 g of total fat and 8 g of trans fat! Tons of calories from fat and very few micro-nutrients.
•Candy, Soda and other sweetened packaged foods
A can of soda contains about 130 calories as well as additives and colorings. Again, lots of calories from sugar but no micro-nutrients.
•Beer, wine and all other alcoholic beverages
A can of beer contains about 150 calories from sugar and not much of anything else. In addition, calories from alcohol tend to be stored as fat in the abdomen (leading to a “beer belly”).
•Refined grains such as crackers, cookies, white rice and white bread
Refined grains do provide some B vitamins, but that’s it.
How to Avoid Empty Calories?
•Avoid deep-fried foods. Instead of deep-frying, use other methods of cooking. For instance, have a baked potato with skin instead of fries, or a piece of baked skinless chicken breast instead of fried chicken.
•Avoid sweetened drinks and canned drinks.
•Try whole grains instead of refined grains. Whole grains are packed with beneficial fiber and antioxidants. For instance, have a slice of whole-wheat bread instead of white bread. Have a bowl of whole-grain breakfast cereals or unsweetened oatmeal instead of corn flakes.
•Snack on fruits! Instead of prowling for a box of crackers in the mid afternoon, snack on fruits. Better yet, dip them in low-fat yogurt to get additional calcium and protein.
A very good rule to use to help you stay on track is to ask yourself one question every-time before you put something in your mouth. ….  “Will this help me reach my fitness goals? Does that have any nutritional value, or is this just full of empty calories.”  You’ll be surprised at how this will help you choose what you eat!  Make what you eat count!