After School Easy Dinner Meals!!

Fall is approaching and most people find they are much busier this time of year! It is easy to get in the habit of making dinners that are quick to make yet not always the best for their bodies. Examples would be things such as Macorni and Cheese from the package, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Top Ramen. Let's not forget eating healthy should still be one of our top priorities.

When I feel overwhelmed by the many tasks I need to accomplish, I lay out a daily schedule with times for each thing I need to get done and what I would like to do. Try it out and see if your stress level goes down.

Anyways, here is a recipe to try out!

Garlicky spinach tossed with pasta in a ricotta sauce means a healthy meal in no time.
Ingredients
1 6-ounce package fresh baby spinach
8 ounces penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic
⅛ red pepper flakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions
Put spinach in colonder through which pasta water will be drained. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and leave in colonder with spinach.
In pasta pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; stir 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour pasta mixture back into the pot. Stir in ricotta, salt and pepper.
If creamier texture is desired, stir in reserved pasta water.
Make-Ahead
Pasta can be cooked ahead, tossed with oil and kept in the refrigerator for a few days. To make this dish just heat pasta in microwave and toss with the rest of the ingredients.

Make it Faster:
Use fresh rather than dry pasta

Servings per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving: ½ cup cooked pasta
Preparation Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: About 10 minutes

Ready In: About 15 minutes Servings:

To find 10 other recipes including this one go to: http://recipes.slides.kaboose.com/244-easy-after-school-dinners

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish..Salmon Fish!

I have been enjoying a lot of fresh salmon lately and thought, hey why not blog about this healthy fish? There are many sauces available to marinate the salmon too and you can add ThinStick to it..see why ThinStick is so convenient? I have tried it with BBQ sauce and honey mustard . There are also recipes out there using soy sauce. Bake it, grill it, smoke it, broil it, or BBQ it...it all taste yummy! Although the picture on this post has a lemon slice, make sure not to use a lemon marinate if you add ThinStick to your marinate, because ThinStick does not work with citrus. 

Here are some facts from Kaboose.com

Nutrition facts (3 oz.): 150 calories, 6 g fat, 22 g protein
How it boosts mood: Foods high in omega-3s, such as salmon and other fatty fish, have been found to promote feelings of well-being. Studies of people who traditionally eat high amounts of fish, such as those who live in the Mediterranean region, have found that these people have lower rates of depression.
It’s especially important for pregnant women, breastfeeding moms, and children to stick to eating low-mercury fish, such as salmon. Eat up to 12 ounces of lower-mercury fish per week (a salmon steak can equal 4 to 6 oz.); serve smaller portions to kids.
The daily recommendations for food from the meats and beans food group, which includes fish, is the following (make sure to eat a variety of foods from this food group to satisfy daily needs—and don’t get too hung up on exact amounts):
Kids, 2 to 3 years old: 2 oz.
Kids, 4 to 8 years old: 3 to 4 oz.
Kids, 9 to 13 years old: 5 oz.
Girls, ages 14 to 18 years old: 5 oz.
Boys, ages 14 to 18 years old: 6 oz.
Women, ages 19 to 30 years old: 5.5 oz.
Women, ages 31 to 50 years old: 5 oz.
Men, ages 19 to 30 years: 6.5 oz.
Men, ages 31 to 50 years: 6 oz.
Quick-prep ideas: Mix 2 tsp. Dijon mustard and 1 Tbs. of honey. Pour the dressing over one pound of fresh salmon, then broil for 10 to 20 minutes until the center of the fish is opaque or fully cooked.

http://health.slides.kaboose.com/172-feel-good-foods-mood-boosters/3

Refresh Yourself!

Garden Salad, Caesar Salad, Fruit Salad, etc. Whatever type of salad you prefer they can be refreshing and beneficial! I have noticed quite often that women eat more salad than men, why is this? Do men feel that meat is "manly" and salad just...isn't? There is such an opportunity for variety when it comes to salads! You may use different types of lettuce, dressings, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, cheese, etc. Just make sure you are not going overboard with the additions or it may just lose the benefit of being low in calories!

By the way, this does not include dessert salads!! :)

Four reasons why to eat salad:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber

2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction

4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats

And remember you can add ThinStick to your salad dressings.

For the entire article please visit:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/4-healthy-reasons-eat-salad-today

What do health professionals say about ThinStick???

“As the leading authority in Weight Loss Resistance, I am always looking for natural ways to give my clients an edge over their appetite. ThinStick appeals to me as it is all natural, food based and scientifically founded. More importantly, it works—it really works! I use ThinStick myself everyday and I have been amazed to find that my mid-morning and mid-afternoon hunger pangs have completely vanished. ThinStick is my secret weapon for overcoming weight loss resistance!”
JJ Virgin, Celebrity Health and Nutrition Expert, and the creator of the Weight Loss Resistance Revolution ™.

"Thin stick is the best supplement I have used to decrease patient's hunger I have seen nothing work better to stop night-time snacking. For patients who snack, Thin Stick is the answer. It stops hunger, period. My patients have the hardest time after dinner, sitting in front of the TV, snacking on bad food in the house. Thin Stick STOPS these cravings. Diet and exercise must be used in any weight loss protocol, and Thin Stick must be used for anyone who has snack cravings. If you don't want to be hungry for 4 hours, take a Thin Stick!"

-Jared Skowron, N.D.

5 Truths about Exercise

Exercise and Weight Loss: 5 Truths
By Miranda Hitti WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

"You've heard it time and again -- to lose weight, you need to exercise and watch your diet, so that your calories burned exceed your calories consumed.
But if you've been working out and your extra pounds won't budge, you may be wondering why that seemingly simple strategy isn't working.
Don't hang up your sneakers and throw in the towel. If you do, you're going to miss out on the biggest weight perk exercise has to offer, experts tell WebMD.
First, you may need a reality check about what to expect from exercise. Here are five truths about exercise and your weight."

1. Exercise is only part of the weight loss story.
2. Exercise is a must for weight maintenance.
3. Food splurges may undo your efforts.
4. Exercise machines may not tell the whole calorie story.
5. One daily workout may not be enough.


READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN DEPTH: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-and-weight-loss-five-truths

Walk it out on a Wednesday

Walking is healthy way to exercise and is great for those who don't enjoy running or are not in the condition to run. There are many benefits to walking such as, it helps maintain weight, keeps blood pressure level down, reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowers stress levels. A person of any age can walk and the chance of injury is quite lower than running since it's not as intense. You can always speed up to burn more calories.


Pedometer: Clip it to your pants and it will count the number of steps you take. It detects the motion of hips.


Ways to increase your daily steps:
Take a walk with your spouse, child, friend, or family member
Walk the dog
Use the stairs instead of the elevator
Park farther from the store, better yet, walk to the store
Get up to change the channel
Walk to your co-workers desk
Walk over to visit a neighbor
Go outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding
Go on a mild hike
Walk on the treadmill

Get a FREE sample of ThinStick from JJ VIRGIN

FROM JJ VIRGIN:

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Now here's the best part. I have arranged for ThinSticks to give me FREE samples for all of my loyal LeanZine readers! All you need to do is pay shipping and we'll get them out to you RIGHT AWAY.

Put an end to your cravings by grabbing your FREE samples of ThinStick here: http://www.jjvirgin.com/thinstickchallenge

And, if ThinStick works for you (and I KNOW it will), in exchange for your testimonial I'm also going to give you a free copy of my 9 Live Lean Principles audio course--not available for sale anywhere.

So give it a try, you've got nothing to lose (except the weight)!

Here's the link again:

http://www.jjvirgin.com/thinstickchallenge

P.S. ThinStick helps reduce cravings between meals for up to 4-6 hours. It works by triggering a natural appetite control mechanism that signals the body that it is satiated, and that there is no need to take in more food. ThinStick has been extensively researched in scientific, controlled, double-blind studies and has been shown to work immediately with the first serving.

One sample per person please."

ThinStick Testimonial

“At the Institute for Functional Medicine Symposium, I stopped by the Metabolic Maintenance Products booth and was introduced to their new product, ThinStick. As a formerly obese person I am always interested in, yet skeptical of, any kind of "quick fix" when it comes to products for weight loss or weight maintenance. Given the science behind the ingredients in their ThinStick product, I hesitatingly tried the powder and was pleasantly surprised to find it mixed well with water and had almost no taste, then went on with my day.

“Five hours later at a special dinner, I was amazed to discover that I wasn't hungry and wasn't tempted by anything available. I feel ThinStick may be a viable tool to support satiety, assist with portion control, and help manage the food part of a weight loss program.”

--Paula Mendelsohn, Registered Dietitian