thirsty thursdays : homemade iced mocha

So I've decided that every Thursday, I'm going to send out one of my favourite drink recipes, hence the name Thirsty Thursdays. This week I want to share one of my most favourite blended iced coffee recipes. This recipe has little to no calories, and it's hits the spot just like an iced mocha would from starbucks. The key is to use chocolate almond milk instead of chocolate milk :)

but .. 

I HAVE A SUPRISE :)

^ ^ please tell me that this is the best idea you've ever heard of :) 

COFFEE ICE CUBES! Regular ice cubes just water the iced coffee down, and nobody wants that. Right? :)

1 cup of strong blended coffee

6 coffee ice cubes

2 tablespoons of chocolate almond milk

It's amazing. Enjoy everyone

<3

5 "healthy" foods that really aren't

As you all probably know, there are many diet foods out there that are labeled " a healthy option " but in reality they're actually packed with either sugar or sodium, and a billion preservatives. Don't always trust is because it's advertised with a skinny model takin a huge bite. You know how much she got paid to say that it'll help you lose weight ?

Lets jump right into it, because I don't want everyone to make these mistakes right from the get go.

1 - CANNED FRUIT!

Oh boy, these are two words that should never be used in the same sentence, ever again. Just because the can says 100 calories, and the can is smaller than my fist. I could eat an entire bowl of fresh fruit salad for that amount of GOOD calories. Meaning, not packed with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. When you make fruit salad, usually you have to eat it right away, because if it sits, the fruit changes colour and doesn't look so pretty. Hey I mean I know its so much easier to pack a can of fruit in your lunch bag for work every day, but in the long run packing it in a container will benefit you and your body, and save you from all that extra sugar and chemicals that your body will hate you for.

2 - ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS (Splenda, Sugar Twin, etc.)

Okay, as we all have probably heard, sweetener has caused cancer in lab rats .. yet we continue to consume it everyday in our coffee, tea, diet sodas, etc. Studies have actually shown that artificial sweeteners like splenda and sugar twin can lead to metabolic and digestion problems, nervous system damage, and even a dependency on the sweetener or sugar. Bottom line, they will lead to more health problems having a "skinny latte" then just having 1 sugar. I'd rather go for a 20 minute walk to burn off the sugar then fill my body with that junk.

3 - YOGURT

Okay wait a second .. yogurt is SO good for you. If you read your labels, and choose the proper one. All of these fruit bottom yogurts are usually filled with syrup-type jello, packed with sugar to make you think it's real fruit! If a small container of yogurt contains 33g of sugar, there's something wrong. Put it this way, if the yogurt is bright pink, and tastes like chocolate cream pie, its probably not that good for you. When choosing yogurt, I would suggest a plain greek yogurt, its packed with protein, zero grams of fat, and you could sweeten it with your own fresh fruit right from home. 

4 - WHOLE GRAIN MUFFINS

People assume just because it has the word whole grain in it, that it's healthy for you. I am 100% guilty for this. Before I did all of my research, I used to get a green tea, and a Whole Grain Raspberry Muffin from Tim Hortons. Thinking, this is a healthier choice then a chocolate chip muffin which I'm dying to have. The word whole grain fools a lot of people! Want to know a secret ? In a whole grain raspberry muffin there is 400 calories, 26g of sugar, 58g carbohydrate, 17g of fat, 14mg of cholesterol, and 580mg of sodium. Please read your labels next time your choosing a healthier option. You may as well had that egg breakfast sandwich because its just as bad. 

5 - GRANOLA BARS

Can I just begin to say, some, not all granola bars can be healthy. To eat a granola bar covered in chocolate, caramel drizzle, and chocolate chips ... you may as well have a snickers bar. Read your labels! Find something natural with very little sugar. Not everything marked fat-free is actually good for your bodies!

These are just a few. The list could actually go on and on. But I have to go get ready for work ;) Please cut these out ! It will be good for your body in the long run. Remember, if it doesn't go bad, it's not good for you. 

<3

the b word. breakfast.

If you skip breakfast thinking your saving your body from those extra calories, so that you can lose weight, you have no idea the harm your actually doing to your body. When you wake up in the morning, your body has nothing to run on. Its like a cellphone, how is it supposed to make a phone call if the battery is dead? Not eating breakfast actually makes you GAIN weight. I am 100% true proof of that. In high school, I'd skip breakfast every day, and by lunchtime my stomach would be growling uncontrollably, causing me to overeat. You'd be surprised since I've started eating breakfast on a regular basis, I have lost so much more weight then when I would skip breakfast. It kick starts that metabolism. Why do you think they tell you to eat every 2-3 hours?

So .. What should a healthy breakfast consist of ?
- one serving of whole grain
- one serving of fruit or vegetable
- one serving of calcium containing food
- it is also fine to have a protein, like eggs, nuts, etc.

I always have either coffee or green tea with my breakfast. Most juices are either artificial, or packed with extra sugar that will just make you even more tired. I take my tea clear, and I add a tiny bit of almond milk to my coffee (I'll be talking about almond milk on another post, I could go on for hours). You could always spice things up by preparing iced coffee the night before, and having a cold refreshing iced coffee while making your breakfast.

Here are some of the breakfasts that I eat on a typical morning.
Remember : You can play around with these, any fruit is amazing for you! These are just my preferences :)

1 - Egg White Omelet - topped with spinach, fat free feta cheese, peppers, and seasoned with cayenne pepper.

2 - Oatmeal - made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, flax seed, topped with fresh raspberries, almond slices, and shredded coconut.

3 - Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt - topped with strawberries or blueberries, granola, and almonds.

4 - Breakfast Smoothie - blended banana, mango, orange, and pineapple, with flax seed, plain greek yogurt, and crushed ice.

6 - All Bran Cereal - with sliced bananas, almond slices, and a pinch of cinnamon.

7 - Fruit Salad - delicious blend of strawberries, banana, pineapple, oranges, blueberries, grapefruit, kiwi, grapes, watermelon, and apples :) sprinkle with cinnamon for extra flavour !


for the exact recipes for any of these , feel free to message me :)

healthy beginning ... green tea.

If you know me well, you'd know one of my all time favourite drinks in the winter time is green tea. Not only because it is delicious, and comforting. But because of the ongoing list of amazing health benefits it has on your body. I try to have two to three cups a day, especially since green tea is one of the keys to weight loss success ;) Trust me when I say that, I couldn't have done it without it :)

Here are some of the benefits it has on your body.

1 - WEIGHT LOSS
Green tea increases your metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
2 - DIABETES
Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.
3 - HEART DISEASE
Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.
4 - ESOPHAGEAL CANCER
It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them.
5 - CHOLESTEROL
Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
6 - ALZHEIMER'S & PARKINSON'S
It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.
7 - TOOTH DECAY
Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions.
8 - BLOOD PRESSURE
Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
9 - DEPRESSION
Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.
10 - ANTI VIRAL AND ANTI BACTERIAL
Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases.
11 - SKINCARE 
Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.

first entry.

If you've come to my blog, you probably have either already started your own weight loss journey, are trying to lose weight, or just want to live a healthier lifestyle. Well you've come to the right place because I'm here to try to help people lose weight, and gain happiness. I just want to be an inspiration for girls everywhere.

I have always struggled with body image issues, and accepting myself for who I am. Like most girls, I have always wanted to look like the girls in the magazines, and on tv.

A few years ago, I was ready to change my life. I was very overweight, and so unhappy with the way I looked. Senior year of highschool, I decided to change things, I started by counting my calorie intake to 1200 calories per day. I managed to lose around 20 pounds and kept it off for about a year.

I went through a pretty bad stage like most 18 year olds do, and ended up gaining the weight back that I had worked so hard to take off. I hated the way I looked, wore sweatpants and baggy shirts .. I just felt so disgusting when I looked in the mirror.

My boyfriend Preston was the one that finally told me he'd pay for me to get a gym membership, if I wanted to try it out, and I ended up loving it! I worked out for 6 months straight and the 20 lbs came right off.

I still decided I wasn't happy. I had lost the weight, but I still didn't feel beautiful. Summer 2012 was the new beginning. I set new goals for myself, and as each week approached, I became closer and closer to my goals.

I am now 20 years old, and lighter than I have ever been since I was 14 years old. That makes me feel amazing, but now it's time to share my story with the world, and hopefully help other girls out there trying to reach there goals.

Now I'm not there yet, I wanna see abs by summer 2013 :) You can really do anything if you set your mind to it. I truly hope I can help all you young girls out there. My blog will consist of healthy recipes, health benefits, even workouts. Now ..

LETS GET FIT.