Amazing Member Report--Alyse

Weight Loss Hint--Lose Up To 5 Pounds with 9 Calorie Savers  

By Emily Tannert 

Nutrition Hint--Creative Snack Swaps
By Beth Hammond 

Recently I've been working on incorporating more veggies into my diet. I've also been cutting back on my salty, crunchy snacks like my favorite organic blue corn tortilla chips. So to curb that crunch craving I've replaced my beloved corn chips with a couple of different choices that provide me with a ton more health benefits (since the corn chips don't really rank very high on nutrients).  

 

My first replacement, I tried my hand at making my own kale chips (much cheaper than the $8 a bag you'd pay for at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's too). Now for those of you who don't already know (and I didn't until I did some research) kale is a nutrition powerhouse! Kale is low in calories, high in fiber and has zero fat. It's filled with iron, vitamin K, A, C, calcium, folate, magnesium and powerful antioxidants.

To make kale chips just take 1 bunch of kale, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sea salt.

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non-insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2.	With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
3.	Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.  Mmmm, mmmm crispy and delicious!

My second replacement was fresh green beans. I've found dipping raw green beans in hummus really satisfied my chips and dip cravings. Plus you can bake them too for the veggie fry effect. Just wash and dry your green beans, put them in a bowl, then sprinkle on a little bit of olive oil and sea salt. Lay them out on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes or until crunchy and firm.

The taste? Sweeter than you'd think; less like French fries and more like... bell pepper chips, in a way. Maybe add in a sprinkle of chili flakes or pepper, just for a kick. At about 130 calories, 4g fat, 2g protein, and 4g fiber, they're definitely snack-worthy--plus, green beans pack in a lot of calcium, vitamin K, and other nutrients that are good for your bones.

 

Do you have any other creative ways to fulfill your veggie quota? We'd love it if you'd share your ideas with us!  

Metabolism Retraining Hint--Simple Ab Toners     

Tone your abdominals. While you can't "spot-burn" belly fat, you can firm up your abdominal muscles and get a flatter belly. Traditional sit-ups aren't the most effective way to firm your tummy, however. Instead, use these exercises to target both deeper and lower abdominal muscles:

Deeper abdominal muscles. Target deeper abdominal muscles by doing "abdominal hollowing" or "drawing in the belly button." First, get down on all fours. Let your tummy hang down as you take a deep breath. Let your breath out, and at the end of your exhalation, gently draw your belly button inward and upward toward your spine. You should feel a slight tightening around your waist - think of it as trying to squeeze through a partially closed door. Hold for 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Work up to 10 repetitions. During each effort, your spine position shouldn't change and you should breathe freely. Eventually, you'll be able to do this exercise standing up. It's so subtle, no one should be able to tell you're doing it.

Lower abdominal muscles. Tone your lower abdomen by doing pelvic tilts and pelvic lifts. To do a pelvic tilt, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.

For pelvic lifts, lie on your back with your knees bent up toward your chest and your arms relaxed by your sides. Tighten your lower abdomen and lift your buttocks up off the floor, with your knees aimed toward the ceiling. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.

For more help with stubborn belly fat try adding Relora to your workout routine. Center members ask your coach what our TotalLife Relora can do for you.  No Thin&Healthy Center in your area? Check out www.donnakrechstore.com for great deals on Relora and other great products to help you get faster results.