Fruity Ice Cubes!

THIS IS SUCH A FABULOUSLY CREATIVE IDEA!

I'll definitely be trying this out on Sunday when I stock up my kitchen with fruit for the week! 

What a great way to naturally flavor up all the water that you're drinking everyday.

I make fruit smoothies every morning and use 5-6 pieces of ice in each one and this would give it some extra fruity twists when I drink them :)

Xox Brittany

Eight Ingredients You Never Want to See on Your Nutrition Label.

These are REALLY good reasons to eat CLEAN!


This may seem like a lot to read, however it is ridiculously important to understand the dangerous ingredients that are in the foods you're eating so that you can do your best to avoid them.

Read it, memorize it or make it your computer back round for a few days. 

Next time you're shopping around at the grocery store, check out the ingredients on the back of your foods!I bet you'll be surprised. 

1. BHA
This preservative is used to prevent rancidity in foods that contain oils. Unfortunately, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) has been shown to cause cancer in rats, mice, and hamsters. The reason the FDA hasn’t banned it is largely technical—the cancers all occurred in the rodents’ forestomachs, an organ that humans don’t have. Nevertheless, the study, published in the Japanese Journal of Cancer Research, concluded that BHA was “reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen,” and as far as I’m concerned, that’s reason enough to eliminate it from your diet.

2. Parabens
These synthetic preservatives are used to inhibit mold and yeast in food. The problem is parabens may also disrupt your body’s hormonal balance. A study in Food Chemical Toxicology found that daily ingestion decreased sperm and testosterone production in rats, and parabens have been found present in breast cancer tissues.

3. Partially Hydrogenated Oil
I’ve harped on this before, but it bears repeating: Don’t confuse “0 g trans fat” with being trans fat-free. The FDA allows products to claim zero grams of trans fat as long as they have less than half a gram per serving. That means they can have 0.49 grams per serving and still be labeled a no-trans-fat food. Considering that two grams is the absolute most you ought to consume in a day, those fractions can quickly add up. The telltale sign that your snack is soiled with the stuff? Look for partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient statement. If it’s anywhere on there, then you’re ingesting artery-clogging trans fat.

4. Sodium Nitrite
Nitrites and nitrates are used to inhibit botulism-causing bacteria and to maintain processed meats’ pink hues, which is why the FDA allows their use. Unfortunately, once ingested, nitrite can fuse with amino acids (of which meat is a prime source) to form nitrosamines, powerful carcinogenic compounds. Ascorbic and erythorbic acids—essentially vitamin C—have been shown to decrease the risk, and most manufacturers now add one or both to their products, which has helped. Still, the best way to reduce risk is to limit your intake.

5. Caramel Coloring
This additive wouldn’t be dangerous if you made it the old-fashioned way—with water and sugar, on top of a stove. But the food industry follows a different recipe: They treat sugar with ammonia, which can produce some nasty carcinogens. How carcinogenic are these compounds? A Center for Science in the Public Interest report asserted that the high levels of caramel color found in soda account for roughly 15,000 cancers in the U.S. annually. Another good reason to scrap soft drinks? They’re among The 20 Worst Drinks in America.

6. Castoreum
Castoreum is one of the many nebulous “natural ingredients” used to flavor food. Though it isn’t harmful, it is unsettling. Castoreum is a substance made from beavers’ castor sacs, or anal scent glands. These glands produce potent secretions that help the animals mark their territory in the wild. In the food industry, however, 1,000 pounds of the unsavory ingredient are used annually to imbue foods—usually vanilla or raspberry flavored—with a distinctive, musky flavor.

7. Food Dyes
Plenty of fruit-flavored candies and sugary cereals don’t contain a single gram of produce, but instead rely on artificial dyes and flavorings to suggest a relationship with nature. Not only do these dyes allow manufacturers to mask the drab colors of heavily processed foods, but certain hues have been linked to more serious ailments. A Journal of Pediatrics study linked Yellow 5 to hyperactivity in children, Canadian researchers found Yellow 6 and Red 40 to be contaminated with known carcinogens, and Red 3 is known to cause tumors. The bottom line? Avoid artificial dyes as much as possible.

8. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, used as a flavor enhancer, is plant protein that has been chemically broken down into amino acids. One of these acids, glutamic acid, can release free glutamate. When this glutamate joins with free sodium in your body, they form monosodium glutamate (MSG), an additive known to cause adverse reactions—headaches, nausea, and weakness, among others—in sensitive individuals. When MSG is added to products directly, the FDA requires manufacturers to disclose its inclusion on the ingredient statement. But when it occurs as a byproduct of hydrolyzed protein, the FDA allows it to go unrecognized.

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

Bring your food with you to college!

If you’re a studying/working girl like me with an outrageously busy schedule, finding time to eat is SO rough.

You know you've been here- we all have:

Sometimes you go hours and hours without eating, skipping meals left and right until you get to the point where you’re feeling faint from not eating and then result to the worst thing possible.. FAST FOOD…. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Well guess what? 

Fruit is the fastest food you can possibly eat, and you don’t even have to drive through anywhere to get it! 

Planning and packing a lunch/ snacks to keep with you throughout the day is a GREAT idea for everyone and anyone.

These fabulous glad ware separators are perfect for putting together a wonderful healthy lunch the night before your day of hectic activities.

Don’t let hunger be another thing making you stressed.

Eating frequently not only makes your metabolism faster, it also keeps your energy level high as well as your ability to give focus to the activities that you are doing (such as college classes.)

So grab some glad ware and get packing tonight!

Xox Brittany

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

Dancing the night away with Carlton (Fresh Prince)

I gave a speech at a Charity Event, and he happened to be sitting in the audience. After I finished giving the speech about my life story, the audience was brought to tears and he came up to my table and asked me to dance!

Speech^

WHO WOULD TURN DOWN

DANCING WITH CARLTON WHEN

HE HAS DANCE MOVES LIKE THIS:

It was a magical night to say the least. I feel so 

blessed to have these absolutely incredible 

opportunities! 

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

Your abs are made IN THE KITCHEN.

My mini trip to the grocery store today!!

I want to make a lesson about this in the nicest way possible...

FIRST take a good look at my section on the checkout stand. See all that green? It's what keeps my body healthy and energized throughout the day.

ABS and toned bodies are made 75% in the kitchen and 25% in the gym.

I had a question this morning in my inbox, from one of my followers who said she'd been "working out at the gym excessively and was showing very little results."

So when I asked her about the foods that she was eating, her answer was completely predictable.

She said:

1. she brings Sprite to the gym instead of water
2. has sugary TRIX cereal for breakfast everyday with a Capri sun
3. skips lunch completely and then feasts at dinner on whatever she can find in her pantry(ranging from fettuccine pasta to greasy frozen chicken nuggets.)

Bam, problem solved.

This is a question that I see floating around the health world very often. People think they can just go to the gym and then eat what ever they want and somehow magically the perfect body will just appear...

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

If you are having trouble earning that dream body of yours, work a bit harder at perfecting what you put in it.

Sidenote: guys I'm not telling you to not eat sweets ever again! Eat them in moderation. As you can see I bought a bottle of french vanilla creamer for my coffee when I drink it, but I only put about a tablespoon in, not fill it 1/2 with sugary creamer. You get the gist.

So next time you go to the grocery store try this out, only put foods in your shopping cart that you would't be embarrassed to put on a health blog!!

Join me, and make your body in the kitchen :)

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

My Fitspirational Thursday Lunch!

Today’s fabulously healthy lunch I made!

Freshly sliced Avocado over melted Cheddar cheese on toasted Oat-nut bread!

With a side of DELICIOUS baked garlic asparagus that I made all by myself!

(I’ll post a recipe soon)

And of course a fresh glass of Orange Juice and a cup of water to take my 7 daily vitamins with.

I threw this together in less than 15 minutes and it was FULL of nutrients that my body will use for the rest of the day.

Treat your body right and it will treat you right!

Have a healthy day everyone :)

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

3 minute (at home) Italian Salad!

You are ALWAYS telling me you want quick and healthy meals to eat so I’ve decided to start a strain of posts JUST dedicated to QUICK, EASY, and HEALTHY meals all under 10 minutes!

To kick off these posts, here is a delicious home made Italian salad that I literally threw together in 3 minutes.

You can use what ever veggies you have in your fridge, but I decided to go with the basics:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Dark leafy greens
• And non-Fat Italian Dressing

Wash them, slice them, toss them and POOF you’re done!

There is no need to make things complicated when you’re short on time. Get creative, but if you can’t just come to me and I’ll be all the creativity for both of us :)

Enjoy, and remember Fast food does NOT have to come from McDonalds! 

3 minutes is about as fast as it gets and this is PACKED with nutrients!

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

Guess what time it is? THAI TIME!!

I just finished working a Princess Party (it's one of my part time jobs) (today I was Cinderella at little Baily's 6th birthday party.)

Rather than resulting to the eating the typical party food (pizza) I waited to see what I could find around the area that was a bit more healthy and I LUCKED OUT!!! I found a Thai restaurant right down the street and they had my favorite dish, "tofu spicy noodles"!

"Table for 1 fabulous blonde" I said (okay minus the fabulous blonde part,) and they sat me down at my own private booth by the window.

I literally sat at my little booth at this Thai restaurant taking pictures of myself holding the plate for a good 5 minutes. The waiter thought I was hilarious and even jumped in a few of them and insisted that I email them to him.



I wouldn't be surprised if next time I come back, there is a framed picture of us next to my booth!

After I was done with my Tofu Spicy Noodle photo shoot with myself (and my hilarious asian waiter), I took my first bite.

I had asked for a "4" on the spicy scale of 1-10... and I guess he had either misheard me, or their "spicy scales" were NOT made for white girls. When I took my first bite IT WAS SO SPICY, I swear I had steam coming out of my ears.

I had to blow on it since it was not only spicy but hot in temperature even after my tofu-shoot. >>

Instead of sending it back, I decided to just tough it out and ordered a HUGE glass of water. What a great way to get my full 8 glasses in today right?

I took another look at my dish and realized how healthy it was: with the spinach, side salad, orange slices, and tons of tofu and just HAD to blog about it.



Health Benefits of Tofu:
(Excuse my awkward little hand pointing at the tofu)

As you all know, I've been a vegetarian my whole life so I've had to get creative with the way I get protein in my diet.

The health benefits of tofu as a meat substitute are numerous. Consuming tofu regularly helps lower bad cholesterol, alleviates symptoms associated with menopause and even lowers the risk of cancer. Other major health benefits of tofu compared to meat include making middle-aged bones stronger and delaying the ravages of age. Tofu has been found to be a great source of calcium and vitamin E as well. 

The only difference between tofu and meat protein is that you have to eat more tofu to meet the recommended dietary protein levels. In fact, every 100 g of tofu yields approximately 17.19 g of protein. To get the protein benefit of 150 g of lean meat, you should consume 290 g of tofu.

So don't forget no matter where you go to eat there is always some sort of healthy protein you can fit in, even if you're a vegetarian like me!

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

10 minute (at home) quick and easy- Crispy Parmesan Green Bean Fries!

Hi Guys!!

it’s time to leave your idea of “Fast food” behind in 2012, and EMBRACE A FITSPIRATIONAL 2013!!

French fries contain loads of FAT, GREASE  SALT, and WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE that is SO not good for your body.

So, in my efforts to expand my knowledge in the kitchen and try a new vegetable I MADE THESE!

They are SO delicious and a FABULOUS way to eat green beans if:

A.) you’ve never had green beans before

B.) never liked green beans before

C.) or love green beans and just want a new quick and creative/healthy way to eat them.

TRY IT OUT!

Trust me, If I can make these without burning my kitchen down SO CAN YOU!

What you need:

• Fresh (or frozen) Green beans
• Freshly grated Parmasan Cheese
• Garlic powder
• A hint of olive oil

I purchased my fresh green beans from Sprouts!

(they were REALLY inexpensive) I think I paid like $.89 cents for ALL of these… so everyone who keeps telling me that eating healthy is more expensive can SUCK IT!

Wash them up good!

If you didn't get organic green beans then you want to wash them like you’re washing a new born baby! Do your best to get all the pesticides off, I know you can’t see them but THEY’RE there!

LIGHTLY brush a bit of Olive Oil on your aluminum foil

This makes sure the green beans don’t infuse to the foil and then you’re forced to eat green bean foil fries… I don’t know about you but I prefer my snacks foil free :)

Spread your nice and clean little green beans all over the foil.

Make sure you don’t just throw them in a heaping pile. This helps them to get evenly crispy!

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the tops of the green beans. Follow by dusting them with a hint of garlic powder for some extra flavor.

BAKE them in the oven for 9-12 minutes on 425 and POOF you’re done!

I made these for a few of my friends when they came over and THEY INHALED them like free chocolate!

NOW TRY IT OUT. 
Don’t just read this and think.. “Hmm I should do this one day.” If you’re picky like me this will give you a fabulous new item to add to your little menu
 :)

Have a fabulously healthy day!

Xox Brittany <3