Gluten-Free Apple Pie

It is that time of year again…Apple Season! Who does not love a good apple pie! Here is a recipe to try that is gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. It might have less fat and sugar but it has a great taste.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/3 cups spelt, white, or Bob’s gf flour
• 3 tbsp sugar of choice or xylitol
• pinch pure stevia OR additional 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil (45g)
• 2 tbsp water

Filling

• 4 cups peeled apple, sliced thin (400g)
• pinch stevia OR 1 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave
• optional 1/2 cup raw walnuts, diced small
• optional 1/2 cup raisins

Crumble Topping

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup spelt, white, or bob’s gf flour
• 6 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar (or xylitol for sugar-free)
• pinch pure stevia OR 2 additional tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup oil, OR 1/4 applesauce for fat-free
• 1/8 tsp salt

Total Time: 1h

Yield: 8-10 slices

 

Instructions

*Note: This recipe calls for an 8-inch springform, but it also works in a 9-inch if you double the entire recipe.

Preheat oven to 350F, line the bottom of an 8-inch springform or removable-bottom tart pan with parchment, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry crust ingredients, then stir in the oil and water to make a dough. Transfer to the prepared pan, press down hard, and bake 12 minutes on the center rack. Toss the apple and sweetener in a medium bowl, then spread evenly over the baked crust. In a third bowl, combine all crumble ingredients. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples. Bake 50-60 minutes or

 

Nutritional Values:

Nutrition information is based on a pie made with spelt flour, vegetable oil, coconut sugar, stevia, and 2 tbsp oil in the streusel topping. (Calories and fat will be lower than what is listed if you use all applesauce in the topping.) Gram measurements were used for calculations when given for an ingredient. (Based on each of 8 servings.) An equal-sized serving of a traditional Dutch apple pie recipe will have the following: 320 calories, 15g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, 47g carbs, and 29g sugar.

This recipe is high in fiber, high in manganese, high in selenium, low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, and very high in vitamin B6.

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought of it. Follow me at http://www.facebook.com/sandivw

 

 

The Benefits of Yoga

Improvement in flexibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. Usually during your first class you probably  won’t even be able to touch your toes never mind do a backbend. But if you stick with it, you’ll notice a gradual loosening and eventually, even be able to do those and been different impossible poses which will eventually become possible. You’ll also probably noticed the aches and pains start to disappear. Guess what? That’s no coincidence. Tight hips can strain the knee joint due to improper alignment of the thin and shin ones. Tight hamstrings can lead to flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause back pain. Inflexibility in muscles and connective tissue, such as fascia and ligaments, can cause poor posture.

Having strong back muscles not only make us look better but also protect our back from things like arthritis. When you build strength through yoga, you balance it with flexibility. If you just went to the gym , you might build strength at the expense of flexibility.

Keeping your head balanced directly over your spine takes less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. Poor posture can cause back,neck and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump down from bad posture, your body may compensate by flattening in the normal inwards curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthrosis of the spine.

Yoga gets your blood flowing. The relaxation exercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in the feet and hands. Yoga also gets more oxygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are throught to wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is made.

As you can read, there are may benefits to trying out a yoga class. For further tips visit http://www.facebook.com/sandivw

 

Tired of Your Chocolate Shakeology?

Are you a creature of habit and just make your Chocolate Shakeology the same way everyday? Maybe you just have no idea of what you could add to create some of the most delicious Shakeology shakes out there. Below you will find a list of different options that should send your taste buds in overtime!

Plain – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup water + 1/2 cup of ice optional

Iced Mocha – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup cold coffee

Chocolate Vanilla – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 tsp. vanilla extract + 1 cup water

Nutella – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 tsp. hazelnut extract + 1 cup water

Peanut Butter Cup: Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup water + 1 tbsp. peanut butter + 1/2 cup ice

Iced Hazelnut Mocha – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 tsp. almond extract + 1 cup cold coffee

Chocolate Mint – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 tsp. mint extract + 1 cup water

Peppermint Patty – Chocolate Shakeology +1 cup water, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Strawberry – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup strawberries + 1 cup water

Frozen Chocolate Strawberry –Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup of water + 1 cup frozen strawberries

Frozen Chocolate Banana – Chocolate Shakeology+ 1 cup water + 1 frozen banana

Chocolate Orange – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ cup orange juice + ½ cup water

Chocolate Raspberry – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup raspberries + 1 cup water

Chocolate Blueberry – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup blueberries + 1 cup water

Chocolate Bee – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 Tbsp. honey + 1 cup milk

Choco Cherry – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ cup black cherries, pitted + 1 cup vanilla almond milk

Creamy Candy Cane – Chocolate Shakeology + 2/3 drops peppermint extract + 1 cup almond milk

Chocolate Vanilla Bean – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 tsp vanilla extract + 1 cup water

Chocolate Ginger – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 tsp. ground ginger + 1 cup milk

Chocolate Cranberry – Chocolate Shakeology + 1/2 cup cranberry juice + 1/2 cup water

Chocolate Almond Chai – Chocolate Shakeology + 1/2 tsp. almond extract + 1 cup chilled unsweetened chai tea

Pumpkin Pie – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ cup unsweetened canned pumpkin + ½ tsp. cinnamon + ½ tsp. nutmeg + 1 cup milk

Piña-Banana – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ medium banana + ½ cup pineapple juice + ½ cup water

Chocolate PB and J – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 Tbsp. peanut butter + ½ cup strawberries + 1 cup water

Almond Joy – Chocolate Shakeology + 1 cup light coconut milk + 1 Tbsp. almond butter + Ice + Water, as needed

Banana Split – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ medium banana + 2 fresh pineapple rings + 2 large strawberries + 1 cup water

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake – Chocolate Shakeology + ¼ cup fat-free ricotta cheese + ¼ cup plain nonfat yogurt + 2 Tbsp. peanut butter + ½ cup skim (nonfat) milk + ¼ cup water + Ice

Apple Pie – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ cup diced apples + ¼ tsp cinnamon + ½ cup water + ½ cup apple juice

S’mores – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk + ½ cup brewed coffee, chilled + 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract + 2 tsp. ground whole wheat graham cracker crumbs + 1 cup ice

Snowstorm – Chocolate Shakeology + ½ tsp almond extract + ½ tsp rum extract + ½ cup cold coffee + ½ cup skim milk

I hope you enjoy the list of yummy Chocolate Shakeolgy that I have made for you. I am pretty sure that you will now have plenty of options to help many of your everyday cravings. For more tips follow me at http://www.facebook.com/sandivw

Personal Development, Do You Do It?

Everyday you should strive to be better than you once were. One way to keep growing is to continue on learning how you can be a better you. There are many ways in which you can go through personal development. Sometimes it is done by choice and other times it is done through events that take place in your life.

Growing ourselves is a process and it takes times. It is not going to happen over night. Personal development is a lifelong process. It is a way for people to assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals in order to maximize their potential. With that being said, personal development is not meant to be a tool for reaching a bigger goal but to get us to become a complete human being.

Many people think of personal development as being something that is done in our spare time. It has become to be known as something that is done in order to get ahead in the “real world”. What matters is realizing that the reason you were born is to become the best human being you can possibly be. You should be making personal development the central mission of our lives rather than merely the means to a more limited end. It should be that personal development has become so habitual that you will never think about it as something “extra” that you are doing in your spare time.

The first steps of personal development is first creating a personal development plan. Many people life live with no or little planning, so it is no surprise when they end up being frustrated or asking themselves “how did I end up here?”. This is why it is important to prepare a plan in advance. Did you know that people plan out their vacations better than their lives? Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change. If you don’t think and plan in advance, you can easily end up frustrated, angry and not satisfied with your life.

Your personal development plan is a process that consists of defining what is important to you, what you want to achieve, what strengths you already have that help achieve your  goals and what you need to improve and develop over time. A few of my favorite personal development leaders are Darren Hardy who has written the “Compound Effect”, Dave Ramsey  author of many fantastic books including ” The Total Money Makeover” and Jon Acuff author of “Start”. These are just a few books you could look into to start your own journey into personal development.

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Grilled Portabella With Roasted Red Pepper and Asiago Chicken Sausage

Looking for a different and healthy alternative recipe for sausage? Try this delicious chicken sausage recipe that your whole family will love.

Serving size:4
PREP TIME 10 MIN
COOK TIME 10 MIN
310 calories

22g fat

630mg sodium

What you will need for this delicious recipe is the following:

1 (12 ounce) package al fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage, fully cooked

4 large portabella mushroom caps, stems trimmed, washed and patted dry

1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated

1/4 cup lemon juice (use juice of one whole lemon)

1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 tablespoons oregano, fresh, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup arugula leaves

Asiago Cheese, shaved (optional)

French bread (optional)

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium high.
Spray mushroom caps with olive oil pan spray on both sides and place top down on the grill. Grill 10 minutes on both sides.
Meanwhile prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, combine the lemon, garlic, capers, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix well. Brush the tops of the mushroom caps, turn over, and brush bottoms. Mushroom caps should be tender in the middle before removing from the grill.
Grill the chicken sausages for 10 minutes, turning to brown.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the arugula with the remaining marinade. Transfer to a platter. Slice the mushroom caps, and the grilled sausage on the bias and serve over the arugula.
Serve with crusty French bread and shaved Asiago cheese.
ingredients

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How Do You Use Baking Soda?

Have you ever wondered what more you can do with baking soda besides freshen up the refrigerator? I know that for me that’s what I use it for along with baking, but I have learned that there are plenty of other uses for this mighty, strong compound!  Listed below are a few that you may already know but may be surprised by some, I know I was!

–Cleaning:  make a paste by added just enough water to the baking soda to make a paste. Dip a damp sponge in baking soda paste, then wipe it over a coffee or tea stained mug. It’s also great for cleaning shower tiles or bathroom sinks. You can use the paste to also spiffy up the blender, spice grinder or food processor. You can sprinkle baking soda all over the counter top to absorb any lingering smell of frying. To clean grout, make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the grout. Let it sit and then spray it with vinegar. Wait a couple of more minutes and use a toothbrush to scrub to scrub it clean.

You can soak your sponges in water and baking soda to extend their lives

Clean up your copper pots by mixing equal parts baking soda and lemon juice, then run away the tarnished spots with a soft cloth.

–Food: soak fruits and vegetables in bowl of cold water mixed with a couple tablespoons of baking soda for 5 minutes before scrubbing clean and this will get the dirt off and waxy coating.

For creamier hummus, you need fall-apart tender, pulverized chickpeas. How to achieve this is soaking the dried beans with baking soda, then boil them even more.

Skin hazelnuts by blanching them in a boiling pot of water and baking soda.

These are just a few of the many purposes that we can use baking soda on a daily basis besides the usual baking. For tips follow me at http://www.facebook.com/sandivw

No Bake Shakeology Treats

Tiramisu No–Bake Cookies:

Total Time: 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 12 servings, 1 cookie each

Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour, gluten-free
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, divided use
¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1 scoop Café Latte Shakeology
¼ cup all-natural smooth almond butter
2 Tbsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
3 to 4 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk (or low-fat milk)

Preparation:
1. Combine oat flour, 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, salt, and Shakeology; mix well.
2. Add almond butter and honey; mix well. (Mixture will be dry and crumbly.)
3. Add almond milk 1 Tbsp. at a time until a thick dough forms; mix well with clean hands or a rubber spatula.
4. Roll mixture into twelve balls, each about 1-inch in size. Roll balls into remaining 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder.
5. Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.
6. Refrigerate for a firmer cookie, or eat immediately for a softer cookie.

Carrot Cake Energy Balls

Serves: 15 servings, 1 ball each
Ingredients
1½ scoops Vanilla Shakeology
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
⅓ cup all-natural smooth almond butter
4 Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
¼ cup raw walnut pieces
¾ cup shredded carrots
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
Combine Shakeology, oats, almond butter, and dates in food processor; pulse until dates are incorporated.
Add walnuts, carrots, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; pulse until just blended.
Roll into fifteen balls, about 1-inch in diameter each.

Gingerbread Balls

Total Time: 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: about 18 servings, 1 ball each

Ingredients:
¼ cup almond flour
¾ cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1¼ cups pitted dates, packed

Preparation:
1. Place almond flour, oats, Shakeology, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a food processor; pulse until mixture is the consistency of flour.
2. Add half of dates; pulse until well blended.
3. Add remaining dates; pulse until mixture forms a uniform dough.
4. Shape dough into eighteen walnut-sized balls; place in airtight container.

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Snacking at Work Can Be Hard

We all know how hard it can be to eat healthy at work. The constant supply of sugary, trans fat loaded treats sitting on the breakroom table requires too much will power to avoid. Key to a successful day is planning out your food for the day, so by having healthy planned out snacks readily available will keep your mind from wanderimg to the unhealthy snacks you sometimes crave.

Here are some ideas of snacks you can portion up and bring to work:

Fruit or Dried Fruit 

Nuts Protein Bar

Fruit & Nut Bar or Energy BaR

Jerky 

Granola 

Nut Butters

Veggies Chips 

Trail Mix 

Dark Chocolate Crackers

Here are some high protein snack ideas:

celery and nut butters

Air popped popcorn

Deli roll up-2 slices of low sodium turkey rolled up with 1 slice of cheese

Pumpkin seeds- fall time is coming and we all love having pumpkins around. Make sure you remember to scoop the seeds out and save them to bake in the oven for a snack

Protein shake- these are great to keep on hand as all you usually need is the powder and water. I keep my Shakeology packet in my shaker cup and a bottle of water in the refrigerator at work for those days that I want a shake.

Hummus dippers- place 1/3 of a cup of hummus in the bottoms of a mason jar and stick  handful of cut up veggie sticks (celery, carrots, peppers, snow peas) vertically into the hummus and place the cap on the jar. Your delicious hummus dip is at the bottom awaiting you to dip your veggies in it.

Greek yogurt and granola- use a low fat or non fat version of yogurt and low fat granola

Low fat String Chesse

Tuna and crackers- there are so many single serving cans or packets that you can get from the store that sometimes include the crackers or just pack some wheat thins to go with the tuna.

Homemade protein balls- there is no baking required with this recipe which on,y requires 4 ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp nut butter, 3 tbsp oats, 1/2 tbsp honey and 1/2 dark chocolate chips. Roll the ingredients after mixing into balls and eat or store them in an airtight container.

Roasted Chickpeas- season the chickpeas with olive oil, salt and cayenne pepper and roast for 20-30 min. Store in a ziplock bag or small container.

I hope some of these ideas you’ll take to work with you and it makes it a little easier to follow your current meal plan. For more tips follow me at http://www.facebook.com/sandivw

Healthy Zucchini Recipes

Summertime is almost over, but do you still have an over abundance of zucchini from yours or your neighbor’s garden and your not sure what else to do with it? Here are a few healthy alternative recipes using zucchini that you can try and share with your friends.

One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Yield 6 servings

An incredibly creamy, hearty pasta dish that you can make in just 20 minutes. Even the pasta gets cooked right in the pot!

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered
• 2/3 cup peas
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, mushrooms, zucchini, peas, garlic, thyme and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and heavy cream.
• Serve immediately.

 

ZUCCHINI PIZZA BITES

Healthy, nutritious pizza bites that come together in just 15 minutes with only 5 ingredients!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup finely grated mozzarella
• 1/4 cup pepperoni minis
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add zucchini and cook, flipping once, until golden, about 1-2 minutes on each side; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Place zucchini rounds onto a large baking sheet. Top each zucchini round with marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni minis.
4. Place into oven and cook until the cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Italian seasoning, if desired.

BAKED ZUCCHINI FRIES

These fries are amazingly crisp-tender and healthy with just 135.4 calories. And no one would ever believe that these are baked!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Panko*
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine Panko, Parmesan and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
3. Working in batches, dredge zucchini in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
4. Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

BAKED PARMESAN ZUCCHINI

Crisp, tender zucchini sticks oven-roasted to perfection. It’s healthy, nutritious and completely addictive!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

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Things You Can Do to Slim Down Every Day

Sometimes there are every day things that we do or can do to help up lose a little weight on top of what we might already be doing with our eating and exercising.  These simple, small changes will help get you in shape:

-walk to things that may be close by instead of driving. Adding at least one mile of walking to your day  helps strengthen your legs and cardiovascular system.

-replace high-calorie juices in your diet . Fill a large bottle with water and add mint leaves , a few lime and orange slices and refrigerate overnights. You can add cucumbers, crushed berries or peeled sliced ginger.

– The key to a fit body isn’t when you exercise, but how consistently you do it. You could hit the gym or do an at home workout program every morning and it then soon becomes a part of your routine. Keep yourself on a schedule and keep track in your calendar when your next workout is going to be. This will help keep you accountable.

– take a stand when you can. If you have a job that requires you to sit most of your day then make sure you get up frequently from your desk or cubicle and go for a walk several times throughout the day. Also try standing at an area where you can do your work. This can burn some extra calories while you’re working and standing at the same time. Moving for small periods throughout the day increases your metabolism.  It also boosts circulation and help stretch and strengthen the spinal muscles to prevent back pain.

– find a menu that you can stick to for your lunch or breakfast. Choosing simular foods every day helps you get into a rhythm of making healthy choices and prevents over eating. It’s been shown that if you eat the same lunch for a week you tend to consume 100 fewer calories than usual.

I hope these tips can help you lead a healthier and more fit life. For more tips follow me at http://www.facebook.com/sandivw