Megan Thompson

I've come up with a little list of 21 day fix approved recipes for the superbowl! We all want to be able to eat something yummy while we cheer on our favorite team right!? So why not do it and not have to feel guilty about it! Here are a few of my favorite things I've found floating around :) Enjoy!

1. Buffalo Chicken Dip http://micheleshewell.blogspot.com/p/buffalo-chicken-dip-21-day-fix-buffalo.html?spref=pi

2. Hot Wing Hummus http://diethood.com/hot-wings-hummus/

3. Pico De Gallo http://www.susannahskitchen.com/2014/07/diy-recipe-easy-pico-de-gallo.html

4. The Beachbody site has a TON of great super bowl recipes!! Sweet potato skins, buffalo chicken tenders, NACHOS, pizza, chili and on and on :) Check out this great site for lots of yummy stuff!! http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/nutrition/25-healthy-game-day-snacks

It's that time of year again when we all tend to over induldge :) We take a taste of this and a bite of that. One little bite won't hurt...unless we add up all of those bites over a holiday season....yikes. The scale is never our friend come January and then we panic. I came up with a list of 6 things that may help throughout the holidays to cut down on the shock come January :).

1. Choose Wisely - When you head out to holiday parties and dinner make smart choices. If you know they are going to have a dessert there that you LOVE...choose wisely. Pick a lean chicken or fish for dinner so you know you can have that dessert. The problem begins when we tell ourselves "oh I'll just eat what I want tonight." If we choose something unhealthy for dinner and then have the dessert we end up angry with ourselves the next day. This isn't about telling ourselves NO all of the time. It's about making smart choices so we can still enjoy the things we love.

2. Sign up for a race/event - If you set a goal for yourself during the holiday season you will be more likely to attain it and stay on track. Maybe it's the turkey trot at Thanksgiving, maybe its a Santa Hustle, maybe an indoor triathlon. Pick something that interests you and sign up. Make the commitment.

3. Don't arrive hungry - This is probably one of the most important things you can remember. If you tell yourself that you're just not going to eat all day so you can eat what you want when you go out you are going to eat EVERYTHING. You will go overboard and end up regretting it.

4. Drink water - Drinking water helps to fill you up. If you are at a cocktail party switch on and off. Nobody is saying don't enjoy a drink or two...but alternate with water. You will feel full and end up drinking less of the not so good for you stuff :).

5. Bring healthy options to parties - If you are invited to a party and asked to bring something why not bring something healthy! Chances are you will not be the only person looking out for their health and they will thank you for it. You will also be setting yourself up for success. You will know that you can fall back on tip number 1 - choose something healthy so you can indulge in something you love later :).

6. Exercise - Please make sure you exercise! Three times a week for 30 mins a day minimum. You will feel better about yourself, have more energy and you will WANT to make healthy choices. I have never in my life worked out and then went to eat a cheeseburger...never :). Your body will not want unhealthy food when you are taking such good care of it :).

Raising healthy kids isn't easy. We are up against huge corporations that are constantly advertising garbage to our children. It's on tv and the stores and their friends are talking about it. It's up to us as parents to be a good example. Show them what healthy living looks like. I like to talk to the kids while I'm making dinner and let them try different foods and explain why healthy food is good for their body. Does a little cheat meal here or there hurt anyone? No way and I never want them to think that....but on the other hand I never want them to think McDonalds is a healthy go to meal. Just yuck. So a few weeks ago when the kiddos were sleeping at my mom's she sent me a text saying that she was taking them to McDonald's for a treat. Mark, my oldest son, replied "Mama said McDonalds isn't very healthy but every once in a while it's ok." They are listening....they are watching...they are learning. :)

Ok so Halloween is quickly approaching and we ALL know that we have our weaknesses. I for one can not pass up a reese's peanut butter cup. I just can not. All rational thought goes out of the window :). So I was thinking about healthy eating and the temptations of Halloween. Are we going to restrict ourselves of any candy at all? No we are not. It's just not realistic. So I came up with a list of candy that is the "best" to eat if we MUST :) So when you reach your hands into your children's bags once they are asleep...look for these :)

1. Hershey's Dark Chocolate - 2 miniatures are a total of 88 calories

2. Twizzlers - 2 are only 50 calories

3. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniature (I had to :) - 88 calories

4. Tootsie Rolls - 3 minis contain 70 calories

5. Jolly Rancher - 2 are only 47 calories

6. Sweet Tarts - 2 mini packs for 30 calories

7. Smarties - 1 roll is 25 calories

8. Nestle Crunch - 1 fun sized bar is 60 calories

9. Kit Kat - 1 bar has 70 calories

10. 3 Musketeers - 50 calories

So enjoy this Halloween season with little guilt. Just make sure to leave enough candy for the kiddos :).

Nutrition. Eating Healthy. It's not easy. I struggle with it daily. Especially as a busy mom of three. My plan every day is to eat every three hours. Does that always happen? No. I get busy and I forget. Then it's lunch time and I'm exhausted and I sit down with the kids. Someone doesn't finish a chicken nugget. Guess who eats it? Most days I'm on track but like all of us I'm not perfect and I make excuses. How many times have we told ourselves we've earned a bowl of ice cream or that plate of cheese fries when we are out with our friends? Why do we always choose to reward ourselves with food? This is something that I am constantly working on. Food is fuel for our bodies not a reward. Real food should not be processed, it shouldn't be in plastic bags or cardboard boxes. Does that mean we will never eat those things? No of course not but those things should be an except to the rule, not the rule. When we feed our body healthy whole food it affects everything about us. Think about how you feel after you have eaten a way too large meal of unhealthy food. Your body is uncomfortable...your mind is foggy..you don't feel good about yourself. Your body is telling you something is wrong! This is not what it needs! So let's challenge ourselves. For the day week, month, year...whatever you can commit to and lets feed our bodies with healthy food. Write down how you feel each day. Do you notice a change in your energy? How you sleep? Come back and comment on this post and let me know how it's going for you!