Tag: healthyfood

🍁 Wind Down with This Easy Fall After-Work Snack: Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Parfait

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After a long day at work, you deserve a snack that’s comforting, nourishing, and easy to pull together. Enter: the Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Parfait — a five-minute fall treat that tastes like dessert but feels like a hug in a bowl.

It’s layered with crisp cinnamon-spiced apples, creamy Greek yogurt, and crunchy granola—giving you just the right balance of protein, fiber, and cozy fall flavor. No oven, no stress, just fall goodness in a cup.

🧡 Why You’ll Love It:

  • Quick to prep: Ready in under 10 minutes
  • Fall flavors: Think apple pie vibes, without the effort
  • Nutritious & satisfying: Full of protein, fiber, and natural sweetness
  • Customizable: Make it your own with toppings or dairy-free swaps

🍎 Ingredients (Serves 1–2):

  • 1 apple (Honeycrisp or Fuji are great), diced
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp coconut oil or butter (optional, for sautéing)
  • ¾ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup granola (your favorite brand or homemade)
  • Optional toppings: chopped nuts, chia seeds, extra drizzle of maple syrup

🍂 Quick Instructions:

  1. Warm the apples (optional):
    In a small pan, heat coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Add diced apple, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Sauté for 3–4 minutes, until apples are soft and fragrant.
  2. Assemble your parfait:
    In a glass or bowl, layer Greek yogurt, half the apples, and a sprinkle of granola. Repeat layers.
  3. Top it off:
    Finish with a drizzle of maple syrup, chopped nuts, or extra cinnamon. Enjoy warm or chilled!

✨ Quick Tips:

  • Make it portable: Pack it in a mason jar for a post-workout or on-the-go evening snack.
  • Vegan option: Use coconut yogurt and maple syrup.
  • Add protein: Stir a little protein powder into the yogurt for extra fuel.

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🌞 Cool Down with This Easy Summer After-Work Snack: Cucumber Hummus Toast

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After a hot summer workday, the last thing you want is to fire up the oven. You need something refreshing, satisfying, and easy to prep—no sweat (literally)! This Cucumber Hummus Toast hits all the right notes: crisp, creamy, cool, and ready in under 10 minutes.

Perfect with a glass of iced tea, sparkling water, or a chilled glass of rosé.

🥒 Why This Snack Works:

  • No cooking required
  • Hydrating and refreshing
  • Full of healthy fats and plant protein
  • Customizable with seasonal toppings

✨ Ingredients (makes 2 toasts):

  • 2 slices of whole grain or sourdough bread (toasted if desired)
  • ½ cup hummus (classic or flavored—lemon, roasted red pepper, or garlic)
  • ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
  • A few fresh mint or basil leaves
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt & cracked pepper, to taste
  • Optional: lemon zest, everything bagel seasoning, chili flakes, or feta crumbles

🥪 How to Make It:

  1. Spread: Generously spread hummus over each slice of bread.
  2. Layer: Top with thin cucumber slices, slightly overlapping.
  3. Season: Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and optional toppings like herbs, lemon zest, or a pinch of chili flakes.
  4. Drizzle: Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil for richness.
  5. Serve: Enjoy immediately with a cool drink and your favorite playlist to unwind.

💡 Pro Tips:

  • Gluten-free? Use rice cakes or gluten-free bread.
  • No hummus? Try mashed avocado or a soft cheese spread.
  • Make it heartier: Add sliced tomato, smoked salmon, or a hard-boiled egg.

🍹 Pair It With:

  • Iced green tea with mint
  • Cucumber-infused sparkling water
  • A peach mocktail (or cocktail!)

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Three Healthy Breakfast Options That Won’t Make You Want to Hit Snooze Again

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Let’s be real: mornings are hard. You’re already behind on emails, trying to remember where you left your keys, and, oh right, you still need to eat breakfast before you’re officially functioning as a human. But before you default to the same old sad bowl of cereal or that bag of chips (no judgment, we’ve all been there), check out these three breakfast ideas that’ll fuel you up, keep you feeling good, and might even make you smile.

1. Avocado Toast – But Like, Actually Delicious

You’ve seen it everywhere. Instagram, Pinterest, probably even a dog wearing a tiny avocado sweater. But seriously, avocado toast is the breakfast that’s both trendy and actually good for you. Here’s the secret: Skip the generic white bread. Go for something whole grain or sourdough. Smear on half an avocado (mash it if you’re feeling fancy, or just slice it if you’re running late—spoiler alert, you’re always running late), top with a pinch of salt, pepper, and maybe some chili flakes for that zing. Want to take it up a notch? Throw on a fried egg for some protein. You’ll feel like a wellness guru by the time you’ve finished eating… even if you still don’t know what’s happening in the world right now.

2. Overnight Oats – Prep it, Forget it, Enjoy it

We all love a good “set it and forget it” meal, and overnight oats are here for it. The night before, throw ½ cup of rolled oats into a jar, add 1 cup of your favorite milk (almond, oat, regular—whatever vibes with you), a tablespoon of chia seeds (they’re like little health magic beans), and a drizzle of honey. Stick that jar in the fridge overnight, and bam—breakfast for the next day. In the morning, just open the jar, stir it up, and add whatever toppings your heart desires—berries, nuts, or maybe a handful of dark chocolate chips (because we’re not monsters). It’s quick, easy, and honestly, a little too satisfying for something you didn’t have to cook.

3. Smoothie – The Breakfast that Looks Like You’re 100% Getting Your Life Together

Smoothies are basically the “I’m an adult and have it together” breakfast. You’ve got your greens, your fruits, your protein, and you’re just blending it all up like you’re secretly on a wellness retreat in Bali (if Bali was your kitchen). Start with a frozen banana (because frozen bananas are life), a handful of spinach (you’ll never taste it, promise), and some frozen berries. Add your protein powder or Greek yogurt if you’re feeling extra healthy, a splash of almond milk, and blend like your smoothie is about to win a gold medal. And boom—instant refreshment and an Instagrammable breakfast that says, “I know exactly what I’m doing today.”

Bonus Tip: If you have to get out the door fast, just grab whatever you have in your fridge or pantry and toss it into a blender. Smoothies are like a “clean the fridge” situation where there’s no judgment—just deliciousness.

So there you have it. Three easy, healthy, and borderline fun breakfast options to start your day. Say goodbye to sugar crashes and 10 a.m. hanger, and say hello to mornings that might actually make you feel like a human before your first cup of coffee.

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Keto Diet and Why You Should Try It

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You may have heard celebrities rave about this diet, or maybe you have a friend who is trying it out. But what exactly does this diet consist of?

Basically, it’s a high fat, low carbohydrate diet. What are some of the benefits of this diet? Apart from being a healthy alternative, it also is linked with potential weight loss and fat loss.

A Keto diet is made up more or less of:

55-60% fats

30-35% protein

5-10% carbohydrates

But what do those percentages mean and how do they translate into a meal plan?

A basic Keto meal contains less than 50grams of carbs per day. The majority of calories in a Keto diet comes from fats, while a small portion comes from proteins.

Why is this diet effective?

Usually, the body relies on carbohydrates for energy, but when it can’t it will begin to burn fat for fuel. This is why a high-fat diet will help reduce fat mass, waist circumference, and overall weight.

Below is a 1-Week Meal Plan:

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Have you tried Keto Diet before or are you planning to in the New Year? Let me know in the comments below!

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Ditch Botox & Eat Collagen-Boosting Foods Instead

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63993742 - happy young woman holding oranges on a yellow background

Photo courtesy of nutritiouslife.com

Collagen is one of the most important factors when it comes to having beautiful skin. Collagen production helps with acne and wrinkles, however, as the years go by collagen production decreases which makes wrinkles and crepes appear and even healing from wounds will take longer or scar. So how can one pause the hands of time? With a little help from foods that help boost collagen production, you can increase the chances of combating fine lines and have less scarring.

So nix the Botox and try these collagen-boosting foods to help promote not just younger skin, but healthier skin too (because bad skin happens at any age).

Vitamin C

This vitamin is found in many citrus foods such as oranges, kiwis, and pineapples.

Copper

Found in rich foods such as organ meats (livers, hearts, etc.), cocoa powder, and portabella mushrooms

Glycine

This is found in foods such as gelatin, chicken skin, and pork skin.

Zinc

This vitamin can be found in foods such as oysters, beef, and crabs.

As you can see there are many food options out there to help you include more collagen-boosting foods into your diet, so whether you’re vegan, or wish to eat less meat, you can find a way to choose a serving of these foods at least once a day.

Eat your way to beautiful skin and you won’t have to resort to unnatural ways of keeping it looking good!

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Recipe: Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts

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maple

Photo courtesy of hotdinnerhappyhome.blogspot.com

Happy Thanksgiving, Peeps!

Are you one of those people who never know what to bring to a Thanksgiving gathering? This year, bring something that is both a crowd pleaser and doesn’t pack on the calories. I actually made this dish for a Friendsgiving gathering and it wasn’t long before it was all gone! This recipe is super easy as it doesn’t have that many ingredients and once it’s put together, the oven does the rest of the work!

Ingredients:

1 – pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup

4 Slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

Prep Time: 10-minutes

Cook Time: 35-minutes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (200 degrees C)

Place the Brussels Sprouts in a single layer into a baking dish (preferably glass).

Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, toss the sprouts to coat.

Sprinkle with bacon and season with salt and black pepper.

Roast in the preheated oven for about 35-minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the sprouts are caramelized. Every so often, stir so they don’t get stuck or burned.

Calories:175 per 1-cup serving

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Get a Beach Body Stat By Cutting Empty Calories!

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What-is-an-empty-calorie

It’s that time of year again when everyone is trying to drop pounds as quickly as they put them on back during the luscious Christmas holidays (ya know we were all guilty of packing away cakes, cookies, and chocolates and downing it all down with gallons of eggnog).

But have no fear! Here’s a quick and easy way to shed some pounds without going too overboard or fasting (never cool).

What causes most of us to gain weight is empty calories. Meaning, these are calories that hold no nutritional value to us, so eating them not only doesn’t apply to making us healthier or giving us energy for the day, but rather are very detrimental to our health. These calories are usually low in proteins and dietary fats, but high in carbs (simple sugars). But we’re all human, so cutting out ALL empty calories is unrealistic and would also be kind of sad (seriously who wants to bid farewell to sweets forever? Not this gal!).

So here’s a nifty chart for you to take advantage:

The USDA MyPlate Limits empty calories to the following:

Women/Ages 19-30: 260 calories

Women/Ages 31-50: 160 calories

Women/Over 50: 120 calories

What constitutes as empty calories?

The following foods contain empty calories:

Cake, cookies, pastries, sodas, cheese, pizza, sports drinks, ice cream, hot dogs, bacon, jam, chips, French fries, syrup, and donuts

empty calorie

Try to fill up on fruits and vegetables instead, where you’ll end up feeling more full for a longer time with less calorie consumption, and limit your empty calorie intake to half a serving or one serving a day, and you’re bound to see some results in your waistline!

Let me know some of your tips and tricks for shedding pounds in the comments below!

By: Azzurra Nox

Beauty In Breakfast: Tomato Omelet Recipe

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Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, so why not make it the perfect opportunity to eat foods that will give you beauty benefits?

“You can put on all the makeup and concealer in the world, but unless you’re eating a diet of beauty foods, your skin will not look its best,” says Lisa Drayer, MA, RD, the author of The Beauty Diet.

In this mini-series I will provide you with some easy and healthy-skin breakfast options!

In order to have a healthy-glowing skin you need to not only use the right products for your skin type, but you need to be eating foods that boost your skin’s health.

“Sugar may contribute to wrinkles, and there’s research that shows that following a diet lower in refined carbs improves adult acne,” says Drayer.

Throw out your Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudels and give your skin a break.

“Tomatoes are the number one skin-friendly vegetable,” says Jessica Wu, MD, a Los Angeles dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face. Eating bright red vegetables may help fight sunburn, boost collagen, and reduce skin roughness.

Not to mention that eggs are loaded with Vitamin A (your number one skin-friendly vitamin!).

So put down the doughnut and read below for an amazing Tomato Omelet Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

1 Medium Size Tomato Finely Chopped

½ Onion Finely Chopped

¼ Finely Chopped Cilantro or Parsley

A pinch of pepper

A pinch of salt

A pinch of Chipotle Pepper

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

Directions:

  1. Add one teaspoon of olive oil to a pan and heat up.
  2. Beat two eggs in a bowl.
  3. Add the finely chopped onion, tomato, cilantro or parsley, salt, pepper, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix the ingredients.
  4. Then place all the ingredients in the pan and fry until golden.

  5. Enjoy!

     

Photo by PhotoMIX Company on Pexels.com