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Happy Friday Everyone,

I apologize for my absence yesterday. Fun, Fit and Fabulous was undergoing somewhat of a face lift! I was feeling the need to simplify things and this is what happened. What do you think? I was lucky enough to win a custom blog header from Sara over at Sweet November! She was so easy to work with and does amazing work!

I am very excited to report that the ankle is getting better. I can walk around a lot better today than yesterday. I am hoping to be running again by next week!! Wish me luck!

This morning, I was reading an article in Women's Health called Words to Eat By. In the article, nutritionists shared the diet advice they live by. As I was reading, I definitely cane across a few favorites I wanted to share with y'all! Some of them were so simple, yet they made you have one of those a-ha moments. Eating healthy should be simple, not some hard mathematical equation that makes your head hurt!

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Little Nuggets of Diet Wisdom:

• Give it a squeeze- Lemons are great secret weapon. Squeeze the juice or sprinkle zest over vegetables instead of using extra oil, butter, or salt. I also love to add it to my water for a little extra something something!
• Taste the Rainbow- When you look at your plate, you should see a variety of colors. The more color your food has the more nutrients it probably contains.
• Embrace you inner vegetarian- "For the sake of your health and your waistline, vegetables should be the bulk of your meals. Instead of a huge slab of some animal protein and a little side of veggies, do a small piece of fish or meat on a plateful of veggies." - Mark Bittman I have been trying very had to live by this rule for the past few months.
• Only eat ingredients you can pronounce-  If a seven year old can't pronounce something on the ingredient list, it is probably not a naturally occurring ingredient. With all of the preservatives and additives out there, some ingredients lists look like they're printed in a foreign language.
• Turn off the heat- Overcooking your food can remove flavor and valuable nutrients. Internal heat cooks food, even after it has been taken off of the stove. Remove food from the stove or oven a little early and let is sit for a few minutes before serving.
• Think before you drink- Did you know the average person consumes more than 400 calories a day from beverages? Most of these beverages contain tons of added sugar as well. Try swapping out juice and soft drinks for no-calorie beverages such as water with a little lemon! :)You might be surprised how much weight you could lose from just that one small change.
• Pack a snack- Always keep healthy snacks with you. You never know when hunger might strike, and if you are unarmed you might cave to that 400 calorie muffin in the break room!
• Dine in (in your house that is)- Cooking at home is almost always healthier than dining out. So embrace your inner iron chef and save calories and money by whipping up your own delicious creations.
• Say yes to Flax- Sprinkling flaxseed over cerale, pancakes, yogurt, and oatmeal is an easy way to add fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet! Flaxseed adds a nice nutty flavor to my food that I love!
• Turn into an egghead- You are probably tired of me touting the benefits of eggs, but here it goes again! Eggs have only 70 calories and provide protein, vitamin D, iron and they are so darn easy to cook! So scramble, boil, or poach some eggs today! Your body will thank you later!
• Raid your spice rack- Cinnamon may help regulate blood sugar, turmeric may help prevent Alzheimer's, and oregano may possess cancer preventive properties. All great reasons to increase your use of various spices. I add cinnamon to my oatmeal, yogurt, and coffee all the time. I challenge you to try and find new ways to incorporate more spices into your diet!
• Check out that backside (don't worry I'm not talking about someone's rear-end)- I mean the back of a package of food! The front of any food product is where marketers stick claims like "natural," "low-fat," and "no added sugar" - all of which can mean absolute zilch. The true test of quality is the ingredients list and the nutrition facts panel. So go ahead and check it out!
• Balance your meals, and your body- The best options are meals and snacks that contain a mix of carbs, protein, and fat. This balance helps with satiety, weight management, blood sugar, and bone health. Some great examples are almonds and fruit, or Greek yogurt with a few berries.
• Rise & Shine & Dine- Eat a breakfast that contains fiber with protein and a little fat, because it kick-starts your metabolism and fills you up until lunch!

The article included a few other little nuggets, but these were definitely my favorites and the ones I try to put into practice in my everyday life! Remember, life is for living, not calorie counting. Try to pick healthy nutritious food that makes you happy, and enjoy everything in moderation. Let's face it, I would just not be happy if I could not have a brownie every once in awhile. I hope everyone has a marvelous weekend!

Food for thought:
Do you follow any of the above healthy eating tips?
Do you have any of your own nuggets of wisdom?
Is anyone doing anything spectacular this weekend? I'm not, and I'm pretty pumped about it! Eric and I are finally going to enjoy a weekend at home!!

In health,

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