Apple cider vinegar?

I keep hearing all these amazing things about apple cider vinegar. Like how it can control blood sugar, clear up skin problems, aid in digestion, help with weight loss, clear a stuffy nose, increase energy and more.There's even some actual research that has been done on it's benefits.  Soooo...I decided to start taking shots of it for a month. 

It is recommended that one gets unfiltered, raw organic apple cider vinegar if you're going to ingest it...so I did. I bought mine for about $4 at my local grocery store. I watered down my first "shot"about two weeks ago (1 tbsp and about 1/2 cup water) and drank it as fast as possible and then chased it with another big glass of water. It is not the tastiest thing in the world, but I'm pretty sure I've done other kinds of shots that were equally if not more disgusting and didn't have any health benefits at all :) 

So after doing the shots for almost two weeks and this is what I've found so far: I feel WAY less bloated, my appetite has decreased (especially less cravings in the sugar department) and when I'm ravenously hungry and I take a shot, I feel like my blood sugar stabilizes enough to make great food choices. Like instead of wanting to eat the entire kitchen contents, I'm able to make myself a couple eggs and be satisfied. Also, about this time of year, my sinuses are a mess; and thus far, I have had NO problems.  So, I'll continue it for sure...at least for a month and see what else happens :) 

Pumpkin muffins with a protein boost

I am 100% aware of how ridiculous those photos are, but I needed to really show how yummy these muffins actually are (especially after this sweaty, calorie scorching workout). I'm' trying the muffin in the first photo and then that is my surprised reaction to their deliciousness (probably not a word).

Anyway. These muffins are 80 calories each and have 4 grams of filling protein in them. They are also gluten-free for the wheat fearing people out there.

I hope you like them as much as I do!

Yields 16 regular muffins

(10 min prep, 22 min bake time)

What you need:

• non-stick cooking spray (or muffin tin liners-I highly recommend parchment paper muffin tin liners-no sticking, no cleanup!)
• 1 1/4 cup old fashion oats made into flour (don’t freak out…just put them in your blender/food processor/magic bullet/etc. for like 10 seconds. Congrats, you just made your own oat flour)
• ½ cup vanilla protein powder (I used Isagenix IsaPro…delicious in baked goods!)
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, original flavor almond milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup

What to do: 

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients (oat flour that you made, protein powder, sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg), then mix in all wet ingredients. Tough, right? Fill your muffin tins ½ full (like ¼ cup).  Bake for 20-23 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out goop-free. Cool before diving in.

Here are the crazy-unbelievable nutrition facts…but don’t get carried away; the entire batch will still set you back almost 1,300 calories. But for one normal sized muffin: 80 calories, 13 carbs, 1.5 grams fiber, 1 gram fat and 4 grams protein.

Weekend workout

Do this simple workout this weekend for a metabolism boost and some good ol' stress relief. Please note that I said "simple," not "easy." It's meant to be a challenge. The first round you may think to yourself that it's just not that big of a deal...just keep going and see how you feel after the fifth round. 

Enjoy!

The Workout

Do each exercise for 45 seconds before moving on to the next...the repeat the list of exercises 5 times. Make sure to do a quick warm up and definitely stretch afterwards. For the most impact, move as quickly as possible from exercise to exercise with as little rest as possible. And....GO!

1. Jump Squats
2. Push ups
3. Burpees
4. Wall Sit
5. Mountain Climbers

:-)