Fruit IS Fast Food

Since when did the words "Fast Food" get categorized as meaning McDonalds?

I don't think it get's faster than picking up an apple, and putting it in your mouth.

Opening a bag of mini carrots and dipping them in some hummus takes just as long as opening a bag of chips and dip.

Eating healthy IS fast, you just have to make the choice.

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

25 ways to get yourself motivated to be healthy

1. Try a workout video.
2. Take a fitness class.
3. Get outdoors.
4. Do something different.
5. Do something with a friend.
6. Reward yourself.
7. Create some accountability (blog, facebook, or call a friend).
8. Get a new workout outfit.
9. Play the “get dressed” trick – tell yourself you just have to get dressed in your workout clothe and shoes. You’ll be more likely to work out once your ready.
10. Tell yourself you just have to work for ten minutes. By that point you’ll likely keep going.
11. Picture how you’ll feel when you’re done.
12. Read motivational blogs (in moderation, not so much that you don’t have time to apply it.)
13. Search for motivation on Pinterest or any other websites
14. Set a specific goal.
15. Sign up for an event.
16. Create a physical board of quotes that inspire you and put it in a prominent place where you can see it.
17. Put on some upbeat music .
18. Play an active game.
19. Let yourself dial back the exercise intensity for your next session.
20. Log your exercise so you can visually see progress.
21. Just do it!
22. Hire a trainer.
23. Create a list of the benefits of working out (or losing weight) and review that. There are so many benefits. List the ones that are most pertinent to you.
24. Use new fitness gadgets. I love fitness gadgets and think they are so motivating! 
25. Use fitness apps for for your phone. There’s also lots of free fitness apps for your smartphone or ipod touch. 

I refer back to this list whenever I'm feeling unmotivated and need that extra kick to get myself back on track!
It's a BRAND NEW BEAUTIFUL YEAR so now is the absolute perfect time to start.


Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

FITSPIRATIONAL PROTEIN PANCAKES!! (Eggless)

I woke up this morning craving pancakes… only to go downstairs and find out we have no eggs! Rather then get in my Mustang and drive ALL the way to the store, I decided to get creative :) 

I came up with a delicious and healthy spin to the average pancake and it contains absolutely no eggs!

Adding the banana, pecans, and protein powder makes it packed with protein and potassium! Plus some chopped up strawberries for a fruity spin (As you can see, Locket LOVES strawberries and cooking with me in the kitchen haha.)
Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of pecans
• 2 table spoons of protein powder

Combine dry ingredients and mix slightly. Add milk, oil, water, and vanilla. Whisk together until just combined. Be careful not to over mix - it should still be slightly lumpy. Set aside to rest for a few minutes.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. While pan is heating, add butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add melted butter to pancake batter.Return pan to stove and stir butter into batter.When pan is hot, with a measuring cup or ladle, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake.
Cook until bubbles form on the surface. Carefully flip pancakes with turner/spatula and cook until golden brown.
So if you ever want to get creative in your kitchen and put a healthy spin on the boring average pancake, whip these up!


Xox Brittany
The Fitspirational Blonde

A+ Grocery List

Hi Guys!

This is my very basic grocery list.

This list is infinitely ever-changing, and I add and take away foods depending on the meals that I plan on creating that particular week.

On average, I spend about $100-200/ week on groceries (keep in mind I am feeding a family of 3.) 

The reason that I am sharing my personal list is to HELP YOU CREATE YOUR OWN. 

Get inspired, take action and take the future of your health into your own hands.

Stores I shop at:

• Trader Joes
• Whole Foods
• Sprouts
• Local farmers market
• Walmart (if they’re having a special on fruits/veggies.)

Grocery List

Veggies

• AVOCADO (Yes, I have a passionate affair with a vegetable)
• Asparagus
• Red Bell Peppers
• Artichoke
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Spinach
• Celery
• Cherry Tomatoes (technically a fruit, but I consider it a vegetable because of the taste)
• Dark Leafy Lettuce
• Onions
• Green Beans
• Potatoes
• Spaghetti Squash (on special occasions)

Fruits

• Mangoes
• Pineapple
• Apples (Green, red)
• Bananas
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Oranges
• Cuties(If they’re in season, they make a great “on the go” snack)
• Pomegranate

Nuts

• Almonds
• Brazilian Nuts (fabulous “purse snack” instead of chips)
• Pecans
• Pine nuts (forfresh pesto)

Beverages

• Milk (2%)
• Soy
• Orange Juice (natural, no preservatives)
• Cranberry Juice (NOT from concentrate)

Condiments

• Olive Oil
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Garlic Powder
• Peanut Butter

Other

• Greek Yogurt
• Penne Pasta
• Oatnut Bread
• Pita
• Hummus

I find it REALLY helpful to lay out the foods that I get on a weekly/monthly basis. Keep in mind this is MY personal list of groceries. Yours will differ. 

As a long time health blogger, I highly recommend to you to take the time to sit down and make your own one of these. It will really help to get organized and realize the healthy foods that you need to replenish on a weekly or monthly basis.

Don’t be scared to re-evaluate your list frequently!

Get creative, get healthy.

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

The future of your body

Fill your body with foods that you want to support you when you’re 70.

Imagine how you’ll look and feel if you’ve spent a lifetime filling your body with pringles and jolly ranchers.

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

The BEST vegetarian healthy panini you'll EVER eat!

I finally purchased my very own PINK panini maker, and I have been COMPLETELY obsessed with it since the moment it arrived at my house!

I've made a plethora of delicious panini's already, but this is BY FAR the healthiest most delicious panini I have ever made/tasted in all of my 24 years of life!

SO, I present to you "THE OFFICIAL FITSPIRATIONAL BLONDE PANINI"!

It's easy, vegetarian, healthy, and it guaranteed to impress ANYONE you make it for.

What you need:

• Avocado
• Fresh Spinach
• Red Bell Pepper
• Pesto
• Cayenne Pepper
• Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Your favorite Panini bread (I used Sour dough)
• Pepper Jack and Parmesan Cheese

My fabulous PINK Panini Maker!!!

Her name is Polly, she is pretty hot. (Yes, I name everything)

What you need to do:

Preheat your oven to 325

Place 2 pieces of sourdough on some tinfoil and spread each evenly with pesto. Put your cheese on top of the pesto and put in the oven for 5 minutes. This melts the cheese and lets the pesto be absorbed into it, while making the edges of your bread perfectly crispy.

While you're waiting for that to bake, slice your red bell pepper into relatively thin pieces. Marinate the bell pepper in a cup by mixing olive oil, cayenne pepper and a pinch of black pepper. Make sure the red bell pepper is evenly marinated with the mix of spices.

Take the bread out of the oven, and replace it with the red bell pepper on the tin foil. Let the bell pepper get crispy in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Start to layer your veggies!

1. Spinach
2. Avocado
3. Marinated Red Bell Peppers
4. For a little extra flavor, grate some fresh parmesan to top it off!

Pop it in your Panini maker until it gets perfectly crispy on both sides

There you have it, a PERFECT healthy and delicious panini.

Try it out, tell me what you think!!

Xox Brittany 

The Fitspirational Blonde

Difference between BUTTER and MARGARINE (Oh my gosh EW!!)

My mom emailed me this, this morning (since she knows I LOVE learning anything/everything about nutrition) and IT WAS SO SCARY AND DISGUSTING I WILL NEVER EAT MARGARIN AGAIN!

My mom saved the day, and yours too!

After you read this, you too will never eat margarin again. I guarantee you!

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

BUTTER:

• Butter is created from cream which rises to the top of milk if it sits for a period of time. Through the process of churning the cream, a chemical reaction takes place which makes the cream begin to solidify.
• Butter is an excellent source of vitamins A, D, E, and K. None of these fat-soluble vitamins are found in margarine.
• The best quality butter is made from certified raw cream. Certified raw butter is made up of healthy fatty acids.
• Toxic metals or trans-fat is not found in butter.
• It is a dairy product, but is actually easy to digest to even the most dairy sensitive people. Butter doesn’t contain milk sugar or milk protein which are the main allergens found in dairy products.
• Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
• Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added! 

And now, for MARGARINE:

• Very High in Trans fatty acids.
• Triples risk of coronary heart disease
• Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol) 
• Increases the risk of cancers up to five times
• Lowers quality of breast milk 
• Decreases immune response.
• Decreases insulin response. 

And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING! 

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.

BUT WAIT IT GETS WORSE:

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

1. No flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)
2. It does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

I hope this got you thinking about the food you put in your body. Just because you buy something at the store DOESN'T mean that it  has any nutritional value whatsoever! 

The people who create these foods could care less about your health. 

But I do. So I hope you read this and will pass it on so the people who follow YOU will choose butter over Margarine too.

Have a healthy and Fabulous day <3

Xox Brittany 

The Fitspirational Blonde