Run Like Ellie Goulding
January 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Ellie Goulding is a hugely successful English pop singing artist with a passion to run. The video below was filmed, in collaboration with Nike Running, while Goulding was training for a half marathon with Nike+ that took place in London in September 2011. This marathon training/video also took place while on a busy tour schedule in the U.S. and in London. Check out the video for a jolt of inspiration.
Inspired by her love for running, Ellie has also released a 30-minute mix that syncs perfectly to the rhythm of running which is titled “Run Into The Light
You can see the singer-songwriter-runner’s marathon race results at http://runtothebeat.nikerunning.com/race/211.
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A Torani Taste Test, Just In Time For The Holidays
November 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment
Recently, I received two free bottles of Torani flavored syrup to try in exchange for a product review post on my blog.
Being the coffee and tea lover that I am, I was looking forward to getting these products so as to liven up my drinks a bit and try some new recipes. However, when my package arrived from Torani, to my disappointment it contained a large bottle of Classic Hazelnut syrup and a large bottle of Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie made with Splenda.
Torani … Are you kidding me!
First of all, hazelnut is a very common coffee flavor. I already have great hazelnut flavored coffees in my home and was not the least bit impressed to receive another. And as for the sugar-free pumpkin pie … while I love pumpkin pie, I could never write a positive review on my health blog about a product made with artificial sweeteners. Sorry Torani, but I will definitely be looking for a new home for this sucralose laden liquid.
All that being said, Torani is a successful company that has been in existence for 80 plus years. It produces flavored syrups (made with natural flavors and pure cane sugar) for coffees, teas, and sodas. And Torani sells these products in over 40 countries. I knew, despite my lack of excitement for the flavors I received from Torani, that I needed to follow through with my review. So off to Cost Plus World Market I headed to find some Torani flavors of my choosing. Luckily, Torani also provided me with generous coupons so I could do just that. I ended up with a bottle of blue raspberry syrup, a bottle of peppermint syrup, and a bottle of bacon syrup … yes bacon! Now, it was time for a little Torani sampling party at home.
Using my family as my taste testers, I proceeded to whip up a few different drinks using recipes I found on Torani’s website. I made teas, coffees, lemonades, and shakes using hazelnut, blue raspberry, and peppermint flavors. And to my delight, I enjoyed them all. The flavors I used were made with pure cane sugar and had a very good flavor. The recipes were simple and provided a nice alternative to my usual drinks. And with the many flavors Torani offers (over 122 of them), there are numerous drinks and desserts that could be made for the holidays. The recipes I used mostly called for a 1-oz. serving of Torani syrup, which equaled 80-90 calories per ounce. While I wouldn’t suggest making these drinks on a daily basis, they certainly are good for an occasional treat.
Here are some oh-so-easy recipes for you:
Blue Raspberry Lemonade: (pictured above)
- 1 oz. Torani Blue Raspberry syrup
- 8 oz. lemonade
- ice
Combine lemonade and Torani in a tall glass with ice. Stir well.Blue Raspberry Milkshake:
- 3/4 oz. Torani Blue Raspberry syrup
- 3 oz. milk
- 10 oz. vanilla ice cream
Combine milk, ice cream, and Torani in blender. Blend until smooth.Candy Cane Steamer:
- 1 oz. Torani Peppermint syrup
- 8 oz. milk
Steam together milk and Torani. Pour steamed flavored milk into tall glass and stir gently. You can replace the peppermint syrup with hazelnut syrup for a Hazelnut Steamer.Peppermint Brewed Coffee:
- 1 oz. Torani Peppermint syrup
- 8 oz. dark brewed coffee
In a glass or mug, add Torani to strong brewed coffee and stir gently.Hazelnut Latte:
- 1 oz. Torani Hazelnut syrup
- 8 oz. milk
- 2 shots espresso or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
Stir milk and Torani together. Pour heated flavored milk into a tall glass and add espresso. Spoon a thin layer of foamed milk over beverage.
If you would like to purchase Torani online, you can receive a 10% discount by ordering through the ad on the left. (Note, this is not an affiliate link and I do not make any money from your purchase. This review came to me through SheSpeaks.) To receive a 10% discount when purchasing online at Torani.com, use the promo code “shespeaks”.
The sugar-free product did not get sampled during my taste test as artificial sugars always leave me with a migraine the following day. Plus, I am just not a fan of artificial sweeteners as I believe long term use of them to be dangerous, and I believe pure cane sugar to be the best option. However, I am also not blind to the fact that many people have a health issue, such as diabetes, which does not allow them to consume pure cane sugar, and their options are more limited than are mine. Sugar-free recipes can be found at Torani.com.
I also did not yet sample the bacon flavored syrup. The recipe I planned to use calls for bourbon. After an afternoon of drinks containing different flavored syrups, coffee, tea, lemonade and ice cream, I did not feel it a good idea to top it all off with bourbon and bacon. Perhaps on New Year’s Eve. To be continued ….
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Martina McBride: Raising Awareness For Breast Cancer
October 13, 2011 | Leave a Comment
Country singing star Martina McBride stopped in her home state of Kansas this week (and, luckily for me, in my home town) during her cross-country tour to promote her newest album, “Eleven” , and to raise awareness for breast cancer.
McBride arrived by Amtrak train, dressed in sweet (not too flashy) casual-style clothing, almost as if to say to her fellow Kansans … “I’m just one of you.” And when she spoke to the crowd of fans who gathered to get a glimpse of her, she said:
“Wow! Look at all of you. This is awesome!” . . . “It’s so appropriate and so cool that I get to come home on the day of my album release.”
But as I watched her manuever around the crowd before re-boarding the train heading to its next destination of Kansas City, I saw how much she seemed to love and appreciate her fans and I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Martina, you yourself are awesome!”
In August of this year, Martina McBride released a new video, titled “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” through which she provides inspiration to people who are currently battling cancer. This is a beautiful video which features celebrities and others who have either struggled with cancer themselves or have provided support to loved ones who have struggled with cancer. And it was quite noticeable that that inspiration was received by many who were in the crowd. I personally found it very heart warming to see Ms. McBride signing autographs for women who were wearing pink scarves on their head, indicating that they were in fact cancer survivors. In an effort to not leave anyone out, as security personnel kept trying to lead the talented singer back to the train, she just kept signing as many autographs as possible before she finally had no choice but to board.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Check out Martina McBride’s inspiration video below.
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Astaxanthin: A Potent Supplement
October 6, 2011 | 1 Comment
Having only surfaced in the last 10 years, Astaxanthin
was the unknown health supplement. It seemed almost no one knew about the many benefits of taking this powerful antioxidant and, therefore, its supply was plentiful on shelves of most health food stores. But that changed recently when Dr. Mercola appeared on Dr. Oz’s show touting it as a “#1 supplement” we should all be taking.
See video: The Surprising Supplement You Need.
Suddenly, store shelves were emply of Astaxanthin and it was a product difficult to find. And once stores finally restocked their shelves, some of them chose to raise their price on this sudden best-seller product.
So what’s the big deal with Astaxanthin? Well, for starters, Astaxanthin has 10 times more the antioxidant powers of beta-carotene. In addition …
- Astaxanthin is way more potent than Vitamins C and E, making it a great product for your skin. You may have heard that the best vitamins for your skin are Vitamins A, C, and E (”ACE your skin”). Since Astaxanthin is more powerful than Vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene, it is going to be a great choice to add to your skin care regimen. Simply put, it helps reduce wrinkles and age spots and you will most likely age better if taking Astaxanthin regularly.
- Astaxanthin helps protect our bodies against heart disease and cancer.
- It assists in keeping the brain healthy.
- It relaxes the eye muscles and helps prevent cataracts.
- Astaxanthin is also believed to protect our skin against harmful rays from the sun.
- It increases strength and endurance, making it a great supplement for athletes.
- It boosts our immune system.
- And recent studies show that Astaxanthin may even assist in preventing obesity.
But before buying Astaxanthin, there are some important things you shouId know. Such as …
- Astaxanthin is a natural antioxidant that comes from marine algae. It is also found in many types of seafood; however, the richest source for Astaxanthin is found in Haematococcus pluvialis algae (look for this on the label when purchasing Astaxanthin supplements).
- Astaxanthin is fat soluable, which means it needs to be taken with a good fat supplement, such as fish oil, in order to provide good absorption. Some companies add a fat supplement to their Astaxanthin capsules for this reason. (Again, check the label.) However, it is best to take Astaxanthin with food.
- Because Astaxanthin is fat soluable, it should not be taken if you are using obesity products such as Orlistat or Ally. These products block the absorption of fat in your body and, as a result, will prevent the Astaxanthin supplement from being absorbed as well.
To buy Astaxanthin, click here:
Solgar Astaxanthin Complex 5 MG - 60 Softgels - Other Supplements
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Peggy Fleming: Raising Awareness For Our Heart Health
January 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment
It was in 1968 that Peggy Fleming first won our hearts, as a gold medalist in the Olympics, with her beauty, gracefulness, and athleticism on the ice.
Now, over 40 years later, she aims to protect our hearts with her inspiration and her continual hard work and dedication to encourage women to take responsibility for their health.
Peggy Fleming … figure skater, author, and cancer survivor … is also a health care advocate raising awareness of the benefits of CoQ10 in its most advanced form, Ubiquinol.
CoQ10 (Co-enzyme Q10) is a compound naturally produced by our body. We need it in order to convert energy from fats and sugars into cellular energy. In addition to providing our body with energy, it is known to:
- act as a powerful antioxidant
- be effective in slowing aging
- aid in heart attack prevention and recovery, and
- aid in weight loss
Before we can reap the benefits of CoQ10, our body must first convert it to another form so that our body can absorb it. As we age, though, our body makes less CoQ10 and the ability to convert it declines dramatically. Therefore, in order to receive any benefits from CoQ10, it may become necessary to take supplements.
However, there are some drugs, such as statins which are used to lower cholesterol, which block CoQ10 from converting to the proper form necessary for our body to absorb it. Thereby the CoQ10 levels in the blood may become depleted. People who take statins and CoQ10 supplements may not be receiving the benefits of CoQ10 which they are expecting. However, Ubiquinol has a positive interaction with statin drugs.
Ubiquinol is a preconverted form of CoQ10 so that your body does not need to do the converting for you. And this makes it easier for your body to absorb.
Listen to Peggy Fleming’s thoughts on the subject and please share your thoughts on CoQ10 as well.
Click here to buy Ubiquinol CoQ10 from The Vitamin Shoppe.
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A Health Food To Change Your Mood
January 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment
Photo by Paul Denton Cocker
If you are looking for pick-me-up recipes which will give you more energy throughout the day, the best ones contain fresh fruits and veggies, meats, whole grains, and protein. Here is a good, yet simple, mood-changing recipe to try.
Grilled asparagus and ham wraps:
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch large asparagus
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 pound thinly sliced smoked ham
Preparation:
While preheating grill to medium, trim asparagus stalks 1 1/2 inches from the bottom. Slightly peel the asparagus from just below the tip to the end. Put into a large bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss.
Wrap a slice of ham around each asparagus stalk. Put on the grill and, turning frequently, cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly charred. Enjoy!
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