Did you know

In one gram of protein there is 4 calories

one gram of carbohydrate is 4 calories

and one gram of fat is 9 calories


If you are a healthy adult you need .8g of protein per kg of your body weight

if you are training:
 aerobically you need .8g-1.5g of protein per kg
 resistance 1.5-2.g/kg
and if you live an active lifestyle 1.2-2g/kg

(you can find your weight in kg by dividing your weight by 2.2)

to lose one pound of body fat you have to burn 3500 calories.  To gain one pound of LEAN body mass it takes 2500 calories

you should only be losing 1% of your total body weight per week.  (so if you weigh 200 lbs you should only lose 2 lbs in a week)
(I know there are diets and programs where you will lose more.  But lets just say that if you are losing weight on your own with out a program or trainer it is not safe to do otherwise)

YOU WILL NOT lose more weight by working "harder". to be in a fat burning state you need to be working out in 40-60% of your VO2 max.  For most people that will be a brisk walk where you can still carry on a conversation.  The healthier you become the more intense moderate activity will be for you.

There is much  much more but we will save that for another time.

Happy day to you!

Zucchini & Chia seed Muffins

Okay... so growing up I can remember times when we ended up with way to much zucchini! and... so I remember more than one zucchini cake, bread, muffins you name it!

but anyways recently on a visit home my mom made these muffins.  SO GOOD and a healthy snack

• to learn more about what chia seeds are, and why I think they are better than flax seed go to this blog post http://callmelizperry.blogspot.com/2012/01/chia-seed-vs-flax-seed.html  

so!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
• 2/3 cup apple sauce or pear butter (substitute for butter)
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1/4 to 2/4 cup chia seeds

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the apple sauce. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnuts, raisins or cranberries if using.

2 Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

Note, if you are including walnuts and dried fruit, you will likely have more batter than is needed for 12 muffins. I got about 14 muffins from this batch, and that included filling the muffin cups up.

GOOD LUCK!! 

seriously you can make a huge batch and freeze them I love these things

I have discovered the crock pot!

This is from one of my favorite websites! the direct link for this recipe is http://crockingirls.com/recipes/main-dish/chicken/chicken-and-sweet-potato-stew.html

BUT! this is the same thing! I am making this for my February recipe 

{One of my resolutions for 2012 is to try a new recipe every month}

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew {crock pot style}

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces

2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed

2 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed

2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 cup non-fat, low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. (4 1/2 quart slow cooker.)

and I just looked up the nutritional information for this recipe its

White Chipotle Chicken Chili

OKAY! so this is a south beach diet recipe that our good friends made for us.  You can find this recipe at http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/dailydish/dd_20081207.aspx

but this is the same thing.  ITS SO GOOD!  the only thing I did different (which our good friends also did) was to bake the chicken, shred it, and add later so here it is

White Chipotle-Chicken Chili

Chili is a classic cold-weather comfort food. We've created this healthy version to keep you warm this winter. And believe us, this ultra-flavorful dish tastes even better the next day, so make enough for leftovers.

White Chipotle-Chicken Chili (Phase 1)

Makes 6 servings

Description
Chipotle peppers are jalapeños that have been dried and smoked. They come canned, packed in adobo (a tomato-based sauce); you can find them in the Hispanic or ethnic-foods aisle of your market. Beware: Unless you like your chili super-hot, remove the seeds from the peppers before adding.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (1 3/4 pounds), cut into 1" chunks
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
3 (14.5-ounce) cans white kidney or cannellini beans, drained (save 1/2 cup draining liquid) and rinsed
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 teaspoon canned chipotle chili, seeded and minced
1/2 cup nonfat half-and-half
Garnishes: Shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions
Warm oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes, stirring. Push onions to one side; add chicken to skillet and sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add 2 cans of beans and draining liquid, 1 1/4 cups broth, and chipotle; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 can of beans and 3/4 cup broth in bowl of food processor. Puree until smooth, then add to soup in pot, along with half-and-half. Simmer a few minutes, stirring, until ingredients are warmed through and flavors incorporate. Serve hot; garnish with cheese and cilantro.

Nutritional information 
360 calories
5 g total fat (1 g sat)
85 mg cholesterol
33 g carbohydrate
41 g protein
8 g fiber
671 mg sodium

seriously!!! this is so good one of my new years resolutions is to try a new recipe every month.  

I made this for my entire family, both sides! and everyone seemed to really like it:) 

Snacks!

these are called no bake energy balls and they are yummy

The Original recipe I found on http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-bake-energy-bites-recipe.html

But this is the exact same thing

.  The ingredient list is short and pretty good for you especially if you plan on using quality ingredients.  You can even substitute out the chocolate chips for something healthier but hey, isn't chocolate good for you in moderation?  So go ahead and make some of these and then share the love...shouldn't everyone be so lucky as to know about such a darn good and healthy little treat!

No-Bake Energy Bites 

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.