A Delicious Alternative Brownie Mix

If you are like me, you love chocolate desserts like brownies, but when you are trying to eat healthier, it's hard to indulge without guilt. When I was walking through a Kroger one day, something caught my eye in the baking aisle. I was just going to get corn meal, but when you pass by a ton of red baking mix boxes and suddenly a pink one appears, you stop and take a look. It was this brownie mix with a cute little piggy on the front called No Pudge! Brownie Mix. I scoffed a bit because I know that low fat (or fat free as this mix is) usually has a ton of sugar in it to add flavor. This mix had about the same amount of sugar as regular brownie mixes (22 grams) so I was impressed. Then I looked at the preparation instructions because other low fat brownie mixes called for enough oil to make a dessert that hurts. This is where I was truly shocked and amazed: the only thing you use along with the mix is vanilla yogurt! Yes, this adds a bit of sugar, but it also adds a little calcium and no fat, depending on the yogurt.

Of course I wanted to try this stuff out, so I bought a box and a tub of Stonyfield Oikos Vanilla Greek Yogurt (my favorite!) and got to mixing and baking. The first thing I noticed was the batter was super thick, a lot thicker than regular mixes, and hard to stir and spread in the pan. Then again, this is yogurt and not oil, so it would be thicker. I tried some of the batter in the bowl and it was quite yummy and gave me high hopes for the baked version. Those hopes were met! They were just about as good as a Betty Crocker brownie. (BC has Hershey's chocolate, so it IS hard to beat.) I would definitely recommend this mix to any brownie lover who wants to have a less guilt-laden treat.

Notice that I said "treat." With the sugar content, this is still a treat and should be treated as such with controlled portions. I know that it is hard to control the portions with "low fat" or "low calorie" labels, but those desserts must still be viewed as desserts, not freebies. What I do to control my portions is to put single portions in little baggies so I'm not as tempted to eat half the pan of brownies or whatever food I made.

Back to the product- you can find more information about No Pudge! here. It has a map where you can click the state you're in to find out where it's available, FAQs, a bunch of recipes, nutrition facts for all of the flavors, and an online shop if you don't feel like going to the store to buy the mix.

I hope at least some of you found this useful.

YiLFS,

Martha

Support Systems

One of the easiest ways to stay motivated on your journey toward increased health and fitness is to maintain a strong support system.  Having someone to hold you accountable can do wonders for achieving your goals.  I have personally found this be true over the past several months in particular.  When I got it into my head that I wanted to run a half-marathon (and actually run the entire thing, no walking), I knew I was in for a challenge.  I immediately started a blog and shared my goal with lots of friends and family.  I knew that if other people were expecting me to accomplish my goal and were checking in and cheering me on along the way, my chances of success would be tremendously greater.  I ended up getting additional support through a trainer at a small gym, and she also helped me plan my long run progression so I'd work my way up to 13.1 miles safely.

It's up to you to decide just how much support you need, but I say the more the better!  Via Erin Whitehead, Health and Fitness Writer for SparkPeople, here are some tips for staying motivated:

• Give yourself a pep talk
• Find some virtual buddies
• Surround yourself with success
• Pat yourself on the back
• Challenge yourself
• Commit to weekly check-ins
• Get involved
• Use your pet as a workout partner (probably doesn't work well if your pet is a fish or an iguana)
• Call on your co-workers
• Journal
• Pay yourself
• Reward yourself for meeting weekly goals

Some of these tips are kind of vague by the heading alone, so visit the full article at http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=1645 for more details.  My favorite tip is to find virtual buddies!  That's kind of what we're trying to do for you all with the National Service Week Challenge and the resources available on this blog, the accompanying Facebook page, and the Section 67 website.  Just that most of us are IRL (in real life) buddies, too!  If you need a stronger support system to help you reach your health and fitness goals, let your brothers help you!  Start posting your own accomplishments, goals, questions, and challenges on the Facebook page.  Or start a blog of your own, and make sure to let us know so we can follow it!  Start taking the steps you need to start a healthier life today and hopefully for the rest of your life.

Yours in LFS and Health,
Jessica Szweda
Section 67 Communication Chair

I Want To Ride My Bicycle!

In yesterday's post, I mentioned at the tail end that I had been inspired to hop on my bicycle and go for a bicycle ride.  I think this bike ride is a great opportunity to talk about a few things related to exercise (including that people like to gawk at bicycle riders from the insides of their climate controlled cars).

1. Don't push yourself too hard.  I was determined to go big or go home, so I started out on the local bike trail and managed to get myself into a bad situation when I got a few miles away from home and the seat on bicycle started to slip down, making it almost impossible for me to pedal without a great great deal of effort.  When you're first starting out, take it easy and ease into your exercise.  Only fools rush in.
2. Make sure your equipment is working well.  My seat wound up sliding down a total of six inches before it got done sliding and I wound up looking more like I was riding a Big Wheels than a bike.  If I had taken the time to thoroughly check my seat before I'd left, I wouldn't have had to have my mother come pick me up and take me home in her car.  Yeah, that happened.
3. Drink lots of water.  I thought I was the big man on campus and wouldn't have to use all the water that I brought with me, but let me tell you, I used every drop.  The key to healthy exercise is remaining hydrated.
4. Music is a great way to keep motivated while exercising.  When the going got tough and I wanted to stop, another song (yes, Lady Gaga) would come on and it would give me the burst of motivation that I needed.  Choose songs that will move you, that are high energy and have motivational lyrics.  I like "The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga, a.) because I'm obsessed and b.) because really that's what exercise is, you standing on the edge of glory and going for it.
5. While your knees may hurt, exercise may make you feel better in the morning.  I'm one of those people that has a really hard time sleeping, but I've often attributed that to everything under the sun, without accepting that a lot of the reason I can't sleep is because my body simply doesn't get enough physical activity during the day.  My bike ride took a lot out of me, but last night I slept like a baby and when I woke up this morning I felt great and had a bowl of oatmeal.  Finally a thorough night's sleep!
6. Lastly, never forget that health is not just physical, but encompasses so many other things.  I would never have gotten home if my mom hadn't picked me up, and part of being healthy is having people in your life who care about you and will (literally or figuratively) pick you up when life gets you down.  You, of course, always have my support and the support of all of Section Staff as you move your way to better health!

That's all for now, folks!  You can do it!

Brotherly love,

- Brandyn

Stumbling is a Foolish Consistency

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the famous literary transcendentalist, once stated that "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."  While I am not a statesman nor philosopher nor divine, I've recently realized that I have my own foolish consistency: spending too much time on my computer.  It is, in fact, a hobgoblin leading to my little mind and, more unfortunately than that, to my over-sized frame.

The internet is one of those inventions that has come as a double-edged sword.  Sure, I get to watch my favorite television shows whenever I want and I learn all sorts of interesting facts and get to fulfill my Lady Gaga obsession whenever I want to.  But that is just the problem.  The internet may provide entertainment, but it's also provided me with a means by which to sit on my butt and not do anything all day.  You know when you watch an entire season of the Mary Tyler Moore Show in two days that you have a problem.

To begin my journey toward Health & Fitness, I've decided that the first step is simply getting away from the computer, internet, and television during the day, and I think this is a great step for those who are looking to get healthier.  Without having countless hours of needless instant entertainment gratification, you might just get the motivation to get up and get a move on simply because you're bored.  Running, biking, and swimming are far better activities than simply sitting around and staring at a wall all day.  And yes, I mean your facebook wall.

With that, I think I'm going on a bike ride.

- Brandyn

Making Yummy Diet Changes

I love food- as most APO people do- and for my health pledge, I am starting off with diet changes. I have been combing health sites, finding out the recommended health foods of today. Out of all the foods, one is making its way into most of my meals because of its unique flavor and ability to make me feel full very quickly. This superfood is kale.

Kale is such a versatile vegetable- you can it it raw, cooked, and mixed in soups. Its bittersweet, kind of nutty flavor makes it an interesting addition to meals, unlike other greens that people dread to eat. My favorite way to eat kale is as a salad with this dressing a church lady gave me:

(This is enough for six salads or less if you like a light amount of dressing)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

1-2 tsp chili powder

Pinch of garlic

Salt to taste

Either mix ingredients in a bowl or put in a small bottle and shake. Refrigerate any you don't use for up to two weeks, not that it will last that long. ;)

I will start on exercising soon- when I get over my cold, which should be in just a couple of days. I want to work on the Couch to 5K plan and my DWTS DVD Workout in hopes to get more active overall.

If you have any recipes or food suggestions, lay them on me, and I'll give some of my own! :)

YiLFS and Health,

Martha

Rockin' and Rollin' My Way to Better Health

On Sunday, August 14, 2011, I participated in the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon.  Actually, I didn't just participate--because of my hard work and training over the past several months, I was able to run the entire 13.1 miles!  No walking for this lady!  I was not one of the fastest runners, by any means, but I went at a pace I knew would work for me, and I stuck with it.  The last few miles were really tough, but I kept thinking about how far I had already come, and I wasn't going to let myself quit.  Oh, and seeing Al Roker out running with us when I reached about mile 10 was pretty inspirational, too!  All in all, a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.  After working this hard for so long, there's no way I can go back now.  I will continue my new healthy lifestyle, and I hope to see you all running, biking, or swimming alongside me someday...or something else--you pick!

Taken from http://www2.brightroom.com/75646/25188

Yours in Leadership, Friendship, Service, and Health,

Jessica Szweda