Chocolate and Mood Disorders.

Happy Saturday!!! It is not rainy (yet) and this makes me =)
I have a secret to tell you (no real secret if you could have actually seen me this morning...) I am stressed and I feel worn out. Yes, I know that is totally far from what you read just two days ago (I was well rested and feeling great) but it only takes a day in my world to have a pounding headache and enough stress to break a back! Sorry to be a downer first thing in the morning but this is what my blog is all about.

What am I going to do about my mood??? Well, I am going to FEED it! Now I need to make a thing or two clear. When I say feed your moods that doesn't mean "Oh, gosh I am stressed, tired, angry, sad, I need a tub of ice cream and some cookies to make it all go away." NO WAY!!! What I mean by feeding your mood is to either change or stay the way you feel based on what you actually nourish yourself with. Almost always when I get stressed out or tired I do feel like going for the comfort foods, however I know that it will temporarily make me feel better but then the guilt will set in and worse, the calories. Instead, I do a little researching and find out what I can consume that may boost my mood or steer me in the right direction. Now don't get me wrong, your attitude plays a huge role in this too. I figure though, if you are setting out to find a particular food or nutrient to boost your mood, then you are in the right mindset. With that being said, I say if your attitude is "I want to FEEL better and I want to FEED myself better" then you are on the right track. When I am feeling the way that I do this morning, I am on a mission. The great thing about food is there are SO MANY choices that you are not limited to just a few things that can help you out. If you are not in the MOOD for a particular food that would boost your mood, chances are you have another option.

This morning I knew exactly what I wanted/needed.

DARK Chocolate. I cant think of a morning (except when I was 10 maybe) when I wanted something sweet for breakfast. Usually, I opt for oats, quinoa, toast or maybe a piece of fruit. Never have I wanted a donut, pastry or chocolate. Well folks, there is a first for everything! This morning, I wanted dark chocolate. I thought to myself "Why is this?" Well I will tell you! When you are in the right place (nutrition wise) you will find that you don't crave foods as much as before. I can remember in my Cheetos's days and sugary lucky charm mornings that I would tear some one's arm off for a french fry or strawberry ice cream if I had the craving for it. Now, because I live a balanced life style I find that my cravings are very limited and more often than not it is for a simple piece of fruit. Sorry to say but this morning I had a craving, and it was for chocolate. I payed close attention to this FEELING and thought about why. It was obvious to me once I looked up a bit about chocolate and it's properties towards your mood. I found that chocolate helps with mood boosting and for the exact feelings that I am experiencing this morning. So get on with it Heather! Tell us already!!! Ok, Ok Ok!

How it boosts mood: Just call it the ultimate comfort food. Chocolate has been found in study after study to improve a negative mood. Why? Besides evoking fond memories of holidays and happy occasions, chocolate has the optimal combination of sweet flavor and creamy texture to cause a very effective release of endorphins, which are mood-elevating hormones. Cocoa and dark chocolate contain significant amounts of antioxidant flavanols, which have been shown to improve blood flow in the brain.
Isn’t it great that we can have something that is not only good for us, but fun to use? Yes sir (or ma'am), dark gold, pure happiness! You’ve probably heard the buzz about dark chocolate, and how it’s good for your blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, prevents cancer and can fix nearly anything that is wrong with you, except that expanding waistline. (And for the record — white chocolate is not really chocolate at all. It’s milk solids and fat. No cocoa. Nada.)

The basic ingredients of dark chocolate include cacao beans, sugar, soy lecithin (an emulsifier to preserve texture), and flavorings. This yummy treat, which contains fewer milk solids than its more popular cousin, milk chocolate, often is rated by the percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. The cocoa content of commercial dark chocolate bars can range from 30 percent to above 80 percent.

Some of dark chocolate’s benefits come from resveratrol, an antioxidant (immune system booster) found in red wine, among other products. Its mental health benefits include the ability to boost brain levels of endorphins (natural opiates) as well as serotonin (a mood-altering chemical on which many antidepressants act). Because it can increase serotonin levels in the brain, dark chocolate also may increase serotonin production in the gut, and thus help your immune system.
But before you decide to switch to an all-dark-chocolate diet and throw away the rabbit food, keep this in mind: The recommended dose is one ounce per day. It doesn’t sound like much, but it may help reduce blood pressure and increase arterial blood flow, reduce the chance of blood clots and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Here’s another dietary caution: Downing a glass of milk along with your ounce of dark chocolate negates all the good stuff. Research has shown that milk interferes with the absorption of the antioxidants. So, in that case, all you get are the calories. Bummer.

Many chocolates can be high in calories, sugar, and saturated fat. To maximize the health benefits of chocolate, avoid eating processed chocolate products that have refined sugar and milk fat.
Instead, choose the purest dark chocolate you can find – the more raw and unprocessed, the higher the flavonoid content. The best dark chocolate to eat has at least 60% cocoa solids.

If that is not enough to convince you not to go wild in the candy aisle, try this: Eating too much chocolate each day can cause complications including migraines, weight gain, digestive tract problems (such as diarrhea), kidney stones and heartburn. Dark chocolate seems to have less of an impact on heartburn than milk chocolate and it may also be less of a problem in gallbladder disease, but no promises there. And all chocolate contains caffeine, which is a problem for some as well. As always, if you have any dietary restrictions, talk with your primary care physician before making any big changes.

Last night, when I got home I went to the mail box and found a UPS package waiting for me. What was inside, made me SMILE.

I was delighted to see that I had not one, not two, but THREE bars of NibMor dark chocolate!!! It also had a lovely card in it telling me that the folks there hope I enjoy it and are looking forward to my review. Well, first I would like to state, never have I gotten a hand written gorgeous card from a company saying so. What amazing customer service! I mean it, it made my evening after a VERY stressful day. It made me feel like I had gotten a gift and it was personal. Let me tell you a bit about the company first, then we will get into the good stuff!

At NibMor they believe that the food we eat should be as simple as possible. That means using ingredients made by Mother Nature, not someone in a lab coat.

What happens their kitchen? They combine the best of it all. Their ingredients are All Natural and Organic, plus they work in small batches to meticulously create artisan perfection.

This bar to me looked fantastic! I loved the packaging. When I saw that it was RAW, VEGAN and ORGANIC, I was sold! I opened the package and took a bite (last night). My first thought was "OH MY!!! This is love at first bite!" The chocolate was smooth, dark and semi sweet. Perfection in a package in my mind. Here is the bar it's self and the nutritonal info:

I give this bar a 10, no kidding!

I erg you to PLEASE go to their site to see what they have to offer in the chocolate department....You wont be sorry you did!

http://www.nibmor.com

I came up with the following ten reasons why you need to consume more chocolate.
1. Reduces high blood pressure – flavonoids in cocoa (procyanids) help balance blood pressure and reduce blood clotting. Researchers from Germany’s University Hospital of Cologne found that cocoa consumption lowered blood pressure by an average of 4.7/2.8 mm Hg. The New York Times reported that dark chocolate is almost as effective at lowering blood pressure as common antihypertensive drugs.

2. Improves blood flow to brain – a University of Nottingham professor found that drinking cocoa drinks rich in flavanols improves blood flow to key areas of the brain for two to three hours. Flavanols in the cocoa drink are a key ingredient of dark chocolate. Professor Macdonald’s study also suggested that cocoa flavanols in chocolate may enhance brain function to help fight sleep deprivation, fatigue, and the effects of ageing.

3. Boosts mood – MSNBC reported that caffeine and other chemicals in dark chocolate can improve your mood and ease premenstrual symptoms. Mark’s Daily Apple wrote that the chemical phenylethylamine in chocolate has been found to trigger feelings similar to “falling in love.”

4. Prevents cell damage and 5. Improves blood sugar levels – Lisa C. Cohn, R.D., President of the Park Avenue Nutrition Spa in NYC, wrote that flavonoids in pure dark chocolate are responsible for these added benefits. Cohn said, “if you’re going to indulge on Feb. 14 or any other day, go for the purest dark chocolate you can find. That’s the kind loaded with flavonoids…”

6. Reduces risk of heart attack – a researcher from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine said that eating a few squares of dark chocolate every day may reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack by almost 50%. The study found that blood platelets clotted slower in people who eat chocolate.

7. Helps ease chronic fatigue syndrome – a study found that adults with chronic fatigue syndrome who eat 1.5 ounces of 85% cocoa dark chocolate were less fatigued after they eat chocolate.

8. Raises HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL cholesterol – a Penn State study found that diets high in cocoa powder and dark chocolate (with high flavonoid content) are related to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels when compared with diets low in flavonoids such as tea, wine, coffee, and onions.

9. Improves processing of blood sugar – an Italian study found that dark chocolate consumption increased the body’s metabolism of blood sugar and may reduce the risk of diabetes.

10. Eases a persistent cough – a UK study found that theobromine, a component in cocoa, may be more effective as a cough medicine than standard drug treatments. The research showed that “theobromine acts on the sensory nerve endings of the vagus nerve, which runs through the airways in the lungs to the brain.”

Ok, so I have completely went off on a chocolate tangent this morning. Maybe I was craving this dark goodness because it was the last thing that I ate last night and it sent me into a chocolaty dream land. Or maybe my stress tired body needed another small dose of it to start my day in the right direction. What ever it may be...I am listening and going to eat intuitively. Now, instead of going for that bar and eating half of it for breakfast I am doing what my body wants but in moderation. I am having this baby for my starter.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Oat Bran!

I made my oat bran as usual

-1/3 cup of Bob Mills Breakfast Oat Bran

-1/2 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk

-2 egg whites (makes it so fluffy)

-1 table spoon of Salba

-ONE ONCE of NibMor dark chocolate

Mix all together after it is hot and then crushed up two Newman's Own pretzels.

NOM!

It was just what I needed this morning to give me more energy, get my chocolate fix and more importantly BOOST my mood! It did the trick and I am thankful to Jennifer for sending me the package my way. NibMor was so thoughtful with the card and very generous to give me more than one bar. Because you did so, I am sharing it and screaming from the roof tops about this chocolate. It is 100% awesome.

So, next time you are feeling not so great (and maybe that time of the month, shhhhh) go for a PIECE (not the whole bar lady) of wonderful dark chocolate. Incorporate it into a meal and make it extra special!

I will be talking more about chocolate in up coming posts so keep your eyes out. I have another company that is sending some my way and we will see what they have to offer as well. All in all, chocolate is not just chocolate. If you are going to go for the "gold" go for it. Get a fantastic bar and SLOWLY enjoy it!

I know that I am!

See you soon, with more reviews and moods!

-Heather

It's here, it's really here!

Good morning and HAPPY Friday! I have some things that I want to address this morning so either read on or just skip to the eats! First though I want to just say that I had a fabulous time at the movie last night and it was worth every second. K and I got great seats and even some "snacks" to go with the movie. All in all, a great twist to a normally boring Thursday evening. I like that I get off at 12:00 today. I plan on swimming (if it doesnt rain) and laying in the sun for a bit. I want to start this looooong weekend off right!


I am so glad that this week is coming to a end (for more reasons than just one), it has been a tough one. The house sitting is almost over and I will be free to do what I want for a few days. Just a little note to all my readers, I am taking off from the blog world and work Monday and Tuesday so I will not be posting the winner of the Easy Lunch Boxes until Wed morning! Sorry, but a girl needs her rest for a couple of days. This weekend is MUCH deserved. I have a whole weekend with no plans....should I go somewhere? Any suggestions? I never have 4 days off in a row, I wont know what to do with myself. Movin on.


I had something that REALLY upset me the other day. I talked to one of my favorite (ok seriously MY FAVORITE) companies about getting some other products to review and was told that "There is a lot of competition out there and I reviewed a product by one of their top competitors." I didn't know what to say at first but then I replied "I am so sorry, I didn't know." The president of this company is one of the nicest most pleasant people I think that I have ever spoken with. "He said I know but it was still posted." (Sorry, but how am I suppose to know who your top competitors are and why does it matter if YOU are the one getting raving reviews from me?) I was immediately upset that I had upset this company. I asked which company it was and he of course didn't name names. I knew better than to ask for more product so I just apologized and told him that I understood. He was in no way mean to me but I could tell that he wasn't happy about this situation. This is the first time that this has ever happened to me! If you are a company that is going to send products to me I want you to know that my blog is about three things. 1: training tips to keep you in shape and motivated. 2: Recipes to help keep you slim and trim. 3: New or existing health food products that are on the market. I try them and give you my honest opinion. I do not set out to try two of the same type of products and put two companies against each other. When I get something, I try it and then do my best to get a review up as soon as possible. I have a list of things that I am in the process of reviewing and it is really a first come first post situation. Once I post, I mark it off the list and move on to the next one. Heck, I think I remember doing a post back to back about Greek yogurt and both companies are huge. I have companies that contact me and that I contact. Sometimes I come home and boxes are just there. I don't even remember hearing from them. I just try the foods and or products, give my opinion, include facts and if I am hooked don it will post a recipe of some sort using it.




The thing that upsets me most is that the company said "We treat people who are good to us, good." "This is a competitive market out there and you reviewed one of our top competitors." I knew what that meant...no more of my favorite products...I have no problem buying from them and in fact the order will be placed later this week for myself. The thing that gets to me is that this is the ONLY company that I have felt so strongly about that I have hosted tastings and practically harassed both health food stores in my area to carry their products. I have gone above and beyond just a review and "giving them two thumbs up." I have tweeted, I have face booked, I have yelped and I have told just about anyone that I have talked to about nutrition about their site and products. I just want all of you to know, no malice was intended and I am going to review products the same way that I always have. I guess next time I will try to have a post between each other if they are the same type of products (like if I am reviewing jams, I will make sure that I don't post two reviews with two different companies back to back...) I am just a little confused because this company has a TON of amazing products. It is not like they just carry one type of product and one only. Anyway, my apologies. It doesn't change the way that I feel about the company, the president or the products. I still love them and I will continue to boast about them. You gotta know...



Anyway, just meditated about it and felt like I needed to address it. Moving on!



Breakfast this week has been all over the place! I went simple this morning. x2 I was hungrier than I thought this morning so I had to make it a double...Does that ever happen to you? Where you don't think that you are all that hungry and then you start eating and realize that you were actually starving? Well this morning...that was me. I ate one slice with 2 egg whites and and then I went back to the kitchen after 30 minutes of waiting to make sure it wasn't my brain but my bod that really wanted it. It did so I went back for more.


After a couple of hours and right before my workout this was consumed rather fast... Almond butter with my favorite kind of apple...pink lady. I LOVE to sprinkle cinnamon on my pink ladies but I am all out. Did you guys know that I eat cinnamon like it is ranch dressing to most southerners? I know that sounds funny but there are a few people that I know around here that drench just about everything they eat in ranch dressing....I use cinnamon. I dont know why but I always put it on my apples, my smoothies, my yogurt, I mix it in my pb, my salads and my curries. Heck, that is just about all that I eat! If I eat something 9 times out of 10 there will either be cinnamon or siracha in the mix. I save you guys though from seeing the not so pleasing squirt of siracha all over my food, who wants to see that? Anyone else addicted to the stuff?




Lunch was not so sweet. I wanted crunch and I wanted it now. Yes, I am still eating raw veggies and homemade hummus for lunch. I almost wanted to lie and tell you that I ate some fantastic sandwich or wrap...Nope. I am a creature of habit. If it ain't broke, I'm not fixin it. After a good workout the thought of hot food makes me not want to eat at all. If you add egg whites to anything (I did the hummus) it become a protein bomb, in a good way of course.



Raw please. Thanks.




After a few more hours I went back for more naturally more almond butter and some carrots. I love this combo! I have to say, it is a way for me to get the sweet potato PB combo craving outta the way. I love that one as well. I didn't photograph it, it happens.




After I got home, let the pup out and changed for workout number two I looked in the freezer to see if I could find something to go with my planned salad (yes...salads for dinner...the norm.) I found these babies. I forgot all about them. I got a package in the mail from Quorn (they send me a box or two of new things for me to try and I am always happy when I open the box). I LOVE quorn products. They freakishly fill you up. No kidding. One patty=full for hours. I was glad that they sent me the "naked" ones...They are only 80 cals and have 11 grams of protein. I took the patty out of the box put it in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 and added it to this beauty. I married strawberries and goat cheese with balsamic vinegar and sliced almonds...They have a bright future this summer together I feel. After I sliced the quorn patty on top, I was set! It was so good.



Bedtime snack that I shouldn't be eating but could give a crap... Ok so frozen watermelon IS my favorite night time snack. I take a huge slice and then I blend it up with cinnamon and some nutmeg and then I sit it in the freezer for a hour, tonight I thought "why not add in some dark chocolate so that it looks like seeds!" I am a retard...or a genius, not sure.



Anyway, what a good day of eats eh? Well, I wish that I could say that it was above normal but I am really trying to cut back a bit. I gotta say...I kinda went a little over board on those pure raw food bars and paying for it now. For the next month it is going to be a strict diet for me. After all, shake it, don't break it, it took your mother 9 months to make it! HA!



I am going to enjoy every second of this weekend and you better be ready for a well rested Heather on Wed. I will be done house sitting after tomorrow and back in my own house and bed (god....cant wait!). I will have the winner of the Easy Lunch box winner then. Hope to hear from you!


-Heather

OMG, what a suprise!

As you may already know....I have had some bad luck recently. I have broken a few blenders and a couple laptops...yeah, I don't know what my deal is. I had a vacation planned for the end of the month but ended up taking on a house sitting job to earn some extra cash and decided that I would take the second week of June of to have a girls vacation with my best friend in the whole world! Well, because of the way my luck has been going it came to no surprise when it had to be canceled. :(

My Bf has an amazing job in the film industry and a position was offered on the set of a movie that she just couldn't refuse. I don't blame her! I was a little relieved because of breaking my brand new laptop and pretty much loosing out on 750.00. I tried to take vacation at another time but because I already moved my dates around once I wasn't able to do it twice. So, I have a whole 9 days off the second week of June with absolutely nothing to do...sigh. I just may have to do something alone (which I always end up doing). I like to take trips alone and traveling by yourself can be a lot of fun. I do plan on some pamper time that is for sure and I want to visit Karen while on vacation too. We will see. Something else that I was looking forward to for the last three months was this. The new Sex in the City Movie!!! I have had it on my calendar for the last three months. Opening day is TONIGHT and I have been dreaming of watching the movie while sipping on something sparkling (yes, there are times when you have got to sneak in a little bottle of processco, don't hate) and the darkest most rich chocolate that I could find. This was the plan anyway...The whole plan was for Karen and I to see the movie on opening night, then she was going to go to Florida with her family for a few days and then drive back and the two of us were going to go on our beach trip. Unfortunately because of what I already told you, the above happened.

Yesterday however...I got this text message. "Wanna go to SATC matinee tomorrow? Can u do it? Cause I aint leavin til Friday."

I was overwhelmed with joy!!! YAY!!!! But then it set in...Work.

I thought "there is no way that they are going to let me leave early on Thursday..." I text messaged K back and asked what time the movie was.

"4:30 is the latest matinee." When I got the text I thought "Hey, I may be able to swing this....maybe I can get off at 4:00 and go straight there..." I was sitting there thinking and then I got this text..."Or we could pay 2 dollars more and go at 6:20."

2 dollars more?!? Who cares about two bucks! (Only, Karen would think about me being able to save two dollars...is she tryin to call me cheap!?!). Anyway, I text messaged her back and said "6:20 it is!" Her reply...."Tickets are bought and on me...your in charge of refreshments."

Now here's the problem! I get off at 5:00 I have got to walk the dog, water the garden and take a shower. PLUS I have to stop by the package store now to get a couple small bottles of wine...Can I do this all in under a hour and meet K at 6:00? Well, we shall see. I have a doctors appointment to top it all off as well. I am breathing and I can tell you one thing....Aint nothin going to stop me from getting to this movie with my best friend, nothin! Karen leaves for Flordia tomorrow and I will not be able to see her for a while so I am going to soak up every minute I can with that girl...

Do you guys remember K's birthday? Remember what she got?

This photo cracks me up! She is soooooo cute and when she opened this gift, freaked out! Of course we had to play! Because I had only just watched SATC for the first time last summer I could barely answer any questions...K on the other hand...knows it all! You see, when Sex and the City came out I wasn't into the show at all. In fact I hated it. I know why too...I was married for god's sake! I didn't want to watch a show about women in their late 20's early 30's single and livin it up...I just couldn't relate to it at all. So, I skipped the show all together and whenever I would hear girls talking and laughing about the show I just shrugged my shoulders and moved on.

Well, two years later, that all changed...I found myself living with K and another roomie (both single) and starting completely over. I had no idea where to start really. The thought of being thrown back into the dating world honestly scared the crap out of me, so much had gone on in my life that I was barely able to recognize my life. Well, if it weren't for my best friend, who the hell knows what would have happened to me...(No, I am not going to tell the story of how I got to where I was this time last year, you can read this post.) Instead, Karen said to me one day..."You gotta watch Sex in the City girrrrrrl, that's what you need!" I was living with two boy crazy fun ladies and lets me honest...boy crazy and my name has never been in the same sentence. I was trying my best to warm up to the idea of getting out there again and being more social. It was just taking some time. One night, Karen came home with a bottle of wine and we rented the first season of Sex and the City. Needless to say, it was all down hill from there!

No kidding, we watched all six seasons in a matter of 3 months and moved on to the movie. It was the best thing that ever happened to me! Seriously. Time after time it hit the spot and made me chuckle like no body's business. I cant believe how right on the show really is. I would watch this show and think to myself "Thank god for K and thank god for this show." Looking back at the year that I spent with my roomies one thing stands out....Sex and the City. That and tons of wine, cheese, chocolate and crackers we ate while watching it! I have no idea how I was so small last year. I spent most of my time in bed with Karen snacking and watching the show.

Well, I almost thought that I wouldn't be able to see the movie on opening night and I certainly wouldn't dare go to see it without my girl. Karen totally came through and when I got that text last night it made me SMILE! Needless to say...I am going to get out of work today and run like no body's business. It is all going to happen and by 8:30 I will have completed the SATC experience. I am not very girly. I cant remember the last time I took a bubble bath, had a pedicure or bought perfume. I can say this though....Girly or not, you cant take Sex and the City away from me. It lies in my heart and I don't care how cheesy it sounds. I love it!

Sorry to all the guys that read (yeah, like the three that do) this post is all about my SATC day and the events that take place. I just had to. I know that you will be hearing about the movie on the radio, seeing girls dressed up giggling around town and watching commercials for a while promoting it, this post will just go right along with the madness.

So this evening after a crazy day at work, doctors appointment, walking dog, watering garden, showering and mixing up a "special treat" for the movie I will be sitting in a cool theatre actually watching a movie (last time I went to the movies by the way was alone 2 years ago...). I am beyond excited!

I could have Girls Night over and over. Whether that be: Hangin at my new place... Holidays like Valentines...Being total goof balls. Or dinners at home or Casa Mia . Karen is my go to girl!

So now you know what I am thinking about today, all day....What Karen doesnt know is that I have some things up my sleeve as well. She doesnt get to suprise me and not get one herself. She is going to be happy when she see's me....for sure!

See you tomorrow for my last post until Wed, I will of course give you the low down on the movie (not spoiling anything of course)! I am taking some time off to do absolutely....what I want!

-Heather

Almond Butter Everything

You know by now that I am addicted to Pb! I think that almost anything tastes better with a little pb or almond butter in the mix. I dont know where this came from but about two years ago I went peanut butter crazy! I recently got some PB that totally hit the spot and lives up to my PB standards. I have seen it in the stores for a while now and thanks to Amanda I was able to try some! Who is behind my sticky mouth?

Enhanced Almond Butter: is all natural, contains no cholesterol and has no trans fats. Naturally More's unique formula has an almond butter base and has been fortified with flax seed, and other nutrients to provide additional protein and essential fats needed to keep the body naturally balanced. Along with the lower saturated fat content of Almonds the Enhanced Almond from Naturally More contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids. It's What Almond Butter Should Be!
Allergen Information: Produced in a plant which processes Tree Nuts (Almonds, Cashews and Pecans), wheat germ, egg whites and soy.

Here's The Peanut Butter Story:
In 1890, a St. Louis food products company began selling peanut butter out of barrels for about 6¢ per pound as a protein supplement for people with poor teeth who couldn't chew meat. This gave birth to peanut butter in America. The next step in peanut butter evolution was introduced in 1922 when a California entrepreneur received a patent for the first shelf-stable peanut butter that would stay fresh for a year. This created the peanut butter, as we know it today, until now. Naturally More has taken traditional peanut butter paste and enhanced it with even more beneficial nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy, younger, and fit. It's what peanut butter should be.

About Tim Petro
Creating a peanut butter for the 21st century, Tim Petro founded Naturally More™ to be the healthy answer to traditional fatty peanut butters on the market today. It was his business savvy and out-of-the-box thinking that took him from peanut packer to peanut butter maker of a brand that is now in over 15,000 stores nationwide.
An Alabama native, Tim entered the peanut industry in 1985 when he purchased the Peanut Depot on Birmingham’s Morris Avenue. While having no prior knowledge of the peanut industry, Tim’s business ingenuity took center stage he transformed the Peanut Depot from being solely a walk-in retail business to a trusted distributor, selling roasted in-shell peanuts to grocery stores and sports stadiums throughout the Southeast and Southwest. Much to his credit, it was under Tim’s leadership that the Peanut Depot went from annually growing 150,000 pounds of peanuts to selling over 2.5 million pounds.
In 1999 Tim sold the Peanut Depot and purchased a peanut butter plant just outside of Auburn, Alabama. There, he formed a team and acquired a peanut butter that could not compete with the established brand name peanut butters and was presented with the challenge of creating a recipe that would. The team quickly sought to improve upon the inherently good qualities of peanut butter and develop an even healthier recipe that would be rich in Omega-3, essential fatty acids that have been linked to reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and lowering blood pressure. The result was Naturally More, a natural peanut butter, with fewer calories and enriched with Omega-3, 25% more protein and 50% more fiber than regular brands.
Because of the success of Naturally More’s peanut butter, Tim expanded the company’s offering by adding an Almond Butter and PowerButter™, an even more enriched peanut butter recipe designed to meet the nutritional needs of athletes.
In addition to his responsibilities as CEO of Naturally More, Tim is the president of the Birmingham Tip-Off Club Foundation and past president of the Jefferson/Shelby County American Cancer Society and the Birmingham Tip-Off Club, and has served on the Birmingham-Southern College President’s Advisory Council and Athletic Advisory Council for Samford University. Tim was also named one of Birmingham Business Journal’s “Top 40 under 40” businessmen in 1996.
Stacking Up The Competition
Naturally More easily differentiates itself from other natural peanut butters with the added benefits of Omega-3, fewer calories than other peanut butter competitors, 25% more protein, and 50% more fiber than regular brands currently on the market.
Perhaps the most innovative benefit of Naturally More Almond Butter is the high level of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which have been linked to reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and lowering blood pressure. In addition, Omega-3 essential fatty acids are linked to physical benefits such as improved hair texture and a more radiant complexion, providing whole body benefits from the inside, out.

Once I opened the jar I could smell the almond butter goodness. What did I do with it? Well you know first I had to just get out the spoon and taste it straight up! GLORIOUS!

Naturally More made appearances in my smoothies,

my sweet potatoes


and my protein banana pancakes!

The Power of Protein
With all the consumer attention directed at high protein products food manufacturers are scrambling to find a high protein low cost source. Naturally More has spared no expense by using the purest available protein available. Eggs contain the highest quality source of protein available but they also contain almost every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans. In fact, egg protein is of such high quality that it is used as the standard by which other proteins are compared. Eggs have a biological value (efficacy with which protein is used for growth) of 93.7%. Comparable values are 84.5% for milk, 76% for fish, and 74.3% for beef. Eggs really are the best protein money can buy, and those other valuable vitamins and minerals too. One of the major protein ingredients in Naturally More is egg white, which contains no cholesterol.
The Flax of Life
Flaxseed contains lignans that have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-cancer properties. Flaxseeds have the richest source of lignans, 100 times more than the next best source, wheat bran. The majority of lignans is found in the seed, giving it an advantage over flax oil. Flaxseed also contains lecithin, which emulsifies fat and cholesterol. These little seeds improve digestion, help stabilize blood glucose levels, fight tumor formation and enhance cardiovascular health.
Chewing On The Fat
Like all fats, Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) provide energy. Their calorific value is similar to other fats and oils but, unlike saturated fats, they have important health roles. In fact, as their names suggest, they are essential and must be consumed regularly, as the body has limited storage for them.
Both of the important EFA families — Omega-3 and Omega-6 — are components of nerve cells and cellular membranes. They are converted by the body into eicosanoids, leukotrienes and prostaglandins all of which are needed on a second-by-second basis by most tissue activities in the body.
Fresh water fish is an ideal source for EFA’s. However, it is recommended that only one meal a week should consist of fish. This leaves consumers with limited choices. Naturally More is a great alternative with 5.2 grams of EFAs per serving size.

pretty darn good if you ask me!

If you haven't tried naturally more peanut butter, check out your grocery store next time your there! You can also go to their site!

www.naturallymore.com

I love this peanut butter and I bet you will too!

Thanks again, see you tomorrow!

-Heather

counting down to giving back the keys.

Hey there! I hope your morning/afternoon/evening has gone well so far. I always find it interesting when people read and it looks like yall like to read blogs around 2:00! That is fine by me, the post is up by 5:30 a.m. and I like to be able to have the chance to get started on another one if I want. I gotta say...the professional bloggers out there that post three and sometimes four times a day...how do you do it? I know that my posts are very long and have lots of photos that take time to upload and all but still....how in the world do you have a life! With a 8 hour work day, personal training, house sitting, my own work outs and a tiny bit of time to socialize myself...I can blog either EARLY in the morning, the afternoon if there is time and LATE at night. I am constantly trying to get the most out of every moment that I can and honestly no matter how small the post is...I couldn't post three times in one day...Do you have a fancy phone? Carry your laptop with you everywhere? Or do you blog for a living? My goal is to be able to do this and only this. My dream would be to travel around the world trying new products and blogging about my experience. If there was a product that I really believed in I would love to travel around the world and promote it, see what people think and show my experiences on the blog. Wouldn't that be great?!? If there is one thing that I can do it is sell...I use to work in sales and thrived in it. Top seller for 4 consecutive years in a HUGE business. The only thing that I DONT like is the pressure to sell. If you give me something (and it has to be something that I truly like and believe in) I will run with it. However, the second you say "Heather you have to sell this amount in this amount of time." I fail. I hate pressure to sell and I hate even more someone breathing down my neck. I would be a great traveling sales person, blogging about the experience and product but it would have to be at my own speed. You let me have a little time and I could show you what selling was all about. Are you sold yet? HA!

Movin on...So my vision board post the other day got a TON of e-mails! I had no idea that I would strike that much interest and excitement! Keep it up and if you send me your vision boards (PLEASE dont send me the actual vision board, thanks though Kim, just take a photo and send it my way). I would love to continue to post your hopes and dreams! It is so much fun to see what YOU want in your life!

This week is going to go by sooooo fast and I am SO glad...I am counting down the days to give back the keys to the house that I am house sitting for. Man....I am pooped from all the running around! It looks like May has almost come and gone. Man...My summer is going to flash before my eyes and I will be back in the winter months dreaming of warmer days. Lets not get ahead of ourselves though! Lets talk about food shall we! Food porn...on the way. Breakfast was one of the best that I have had in a LONG time!

This is a usual of mine but the granola that is on top is to die for! I made it, naturally! It is Greek yogurt with granola and fresh blueberries! Yum! Fruit and summer....I love you.

After breakfast and running around like the freak that I am I was ready for lunch! I took this bloggers recipe and went to town... Stuffed avocado! So simple! Avocado, salsa and sour cream. Dont think that I only ate this...it was accompanied by 100,000,000,000,000 Mary's Gone Crackers gluten free crackers! It was like guacamole but with a little more work. Spooning out this goodness was heaven! I haven't been eating my avocado's as much as I usually do...There were months where I ate one everyday. I need to hop back on that train...I just feel like with the raw nuts and coconut oil I might be eating too much healthy fats. Whatever.

I had some unpictured snacks throughout the day but one that was captured was amazing too (who am I kidding...I eat amazing food all day everyday...I'm a food blogger for god's sake). Anyway, I have been eating some pretty bizarre stuff (scared to share some of it as you might think that I am weirder than you thought and stop reading....ha, that wont happen, hopefully!) So here's one of my favorite things to munch on these days and I know it wont come to a surprise to some of you that know me well.... Carrots and PB (in this case almond butter). Oh so good. I swear I should have names my blog "Everything Peanut butter" because I really believe that everything tastes better with some PB or AB. The other night I was rolling up spinach leaves with Pb and it was divine...Oh no! It came out!

One question....Why the heck are some of my pictures AMAZING and some of them almost gross looking? So far all the pictures in this post are beautiful but I tell you what...I cant take a good photo lately for Hugh if it killed me. I think it is because these are taken all over the place and in the day...When I cook his creations and photograph them they are always in the evening and the lighting at my house is terrible. I am a lover of lamps so harsh lighting doesn't exists at home for me...Next time I am going to try my best to make his dish during the day and take it outside if I have to. The best place for me to photograph oddly enough is at work...The lighting at my desk makes things almost look better than they really are...I am still playing with my new camera so bare with me...

I have been getting questions about the computer....I haven't even wanted to think about it but I gotta give you guys the low down. Here goes. Remember my old computer that I had for blogging? My mom got a computer about 6 years ago to try out on-line dating (did you know that every women in my family is single? It's cracks me up sometimes when my twin sister, mom and grandmother all go out...) anyway, she met someone! Yes, online dating can work and when she met the guy and things got serious she gave me the computer...Needless to say, she wanted it back about 3 months later but I was hooked having my own computer and told her "sorry, but you cant take back a gift =) I used that laptop everyday and started the blog with it. I typed on it until I couldn't anymore....It fell off my bed one night and the hinge broke on one side, then the charger stopped working. Once I decided that I would buy a new camera (after that hand-me-down broke) I knew it was time for a new computer. So I took a deep breathe and went in for the plunge. It was the most expensive thing that I have ever bought in my life....Sweaty hands, heart pounding and anxiety ridden I walked out of Best Buy with a modest laptop for 750.00 and a proud owner of a new laptop for my new camera! I was so happy that I had a laptop that could upload pictures in under 5 minutes (it literally took 15 minutes sometimes to upload a pic on the other one) and now I could post more often and my pictures looked better then ever! Well, I am going to give you the readers digest version....My bright and shiny new computer looks like this now... Pretty huh? Yeah, same thing happened to this one....it fell off the bed while I was rushing to change clothes one afternoon. I could have died when I scrambled to look at the receipt and found that it was 2 days, 2 DAYS after my warranty was up. My life. I cried, threw things around my house and yelled but that didn't fix it and didn't make me feel any better about it. To save my fingers for later...You see, nothing brings me more joy (use to anyway) then to crawl in bed with my laptop and youtube retarded videos. Yep, that's why I am single! (Have you seen this one yet? http://deadspin.com/5535220/) WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK, May not be a good idea to watch it at work with the audio and all. Anyway, that is the sorta thing that I laugh at in bed. So the computer slid off the bed and the screen shattered. There is nothing I can do about it and I will be paying for the next 18 months for a computer that looks like the above...How am I blogging then? I bought a monitor and hooked it to my broken laptop and now have a "office" of sorts. I cant lay in bed now with the laptop...It is stationed in the living room and I now have a desk! I just couldn't bare to buy another one (I couldn't anyway) so I just rigged it up and now moving on. It is just the way that life goes (mine anyway). So, there's my story about my broken new laptop, life goes on.

And so it goes! I am in the mood for ceviche and I just may have to concur that urge tonight. You better eat all the fish that you can now, I wouldn't recommend it in a few weeks from now. The oil spill has made me cry more than once and it is going to effect us more than the news is letting on to believe. Just wait. I don't want to get into that right now but I do want to get into this!

OMG.... not my photo by here's the recipe from one of my favorite sites!

Prep Time: 5 Hours (by far mostly inactive)

Cooking Time: none (gotta love that!)

Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Lb Small Scallops

Juice of 6-7 Limes, or enough to cover scallops

1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Small Red Onion,

chopped Jalapeño Pepper, to taste (I used ¼ of one, seeded and diced)Small Handful of Fresh Cilantro,

chopped

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

½ Tsp Sea Salt Ground Black Pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp Tequila

In a medium bowl, combine scallops and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. When finished, drain off most of the lime juice (you’ll instinctively know how much to leave in the bowl, but only a little) and stir in bell pepper, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and tequila. Pour over scallop mixture, mix well, and refrigerate for at least another hour. Serve.

WOW! This post was all over the place! Hope you didn't mind! Get ready for more reviews this week! I got some GOOD things to tell you about! See you sooner than later!

-Heather

Lunchboxes made easy!

Anyone who loves to cook (and eat!) is often faced with the dilemma of how to transport their wonderful creations.

Living on cafeteria, restaurant, or convenience store food is often unhealthy, fattening, and definitely costs a lot more than 'brown bagging' it.

The EasyLunchbox System makes it simple to organize, and quickly pack healthy lunches at home without wasting money, time, paper or plastic. It's a flexible timesaver for all those wonderful Brown Bag ideas and makes portion control a breeze!
EasyLunchboxes.com was launched in December, 2009 and is quickly becoming the new favorite among affordable and green lunch box solutions!

Named a 'top 5 Eco-Friendly Mommy Must Have" by Parents Ask , the EasyLunchbox System has been rated TOP CHOICE by many independent reviewers. Read their reviews HERE .
Supporting the waste-free lunch movement, EasyLunchboxes.com offers a reusable, superior solution at a much lower price than other companies. Great for large families and those on a limited budget.

How did this company get started? Here is Kelly's story:
KELLY LESTER is the owner, creator, and mom behind Easylunchboxes.com. During the last two decades she has been an entrepreneur, wife, and mother of three. She is also an actress and singer.
A graduate of UCLA's theatre department, Kelly has appeared in dozens of plays and musicals in the Los Angeles area. Kelly left show business for almost twelve years to found and run Art Plates, her own highly-successful gift manufacturing business and raise her three girls. Her handcrafted switchplates and soaps were sold in hundreds of museum stores across the country and direct to consumers via the Art Plates website.
After selling that business in 2006, Kelly defied the old adage that there are no second acts. In fact, sometimes there are actually many different acts. Since returning to performing, Kelly has appeared in a number of stage productions, films and TV shows. More about Kelly’s performing career HERE.
In her spare time, she enjoys listening to obscure musicals, and has an obsession with graphic design (especially fonts) and digital scrap booking. When not in front of the computer, Kelly can be found in the kitchen preparing healthy lunches and dinners for her family (although she actually hates to cook and is actively trying to teach her daughters to take over the household culinary needs.)
Easylunchboxes.com was born out of Kelly’s innate ability to do things efficiently while on a shoestring budget, and her desire to send her daughters to school with simple, healthy food, with little to no extra packaging or ingredients. Her past struggle with weight control inspires her to teach and model healthy eating habits for her children, and has fueled her dedication to always send them off to school with a great lunch. Kelly's healthy lifestyle was recently featured on MOM TRENDS.
Kelly combined her self taught business-savvy with her natural inclination to think “what would other parents want?” — to develop the perfect lunchbox system.. She is thrilled and proud to share her Easylunchboxes and lunch bags with other families who will benefit by their simple design, great price, and amazing functionality. Additionally, by promoting the waste-free lunch movement, EasyLunchboxes.com is helping the planet one lunch box at a time.
Kelly has been married to actor Loren Lester since 1988. They live in Woodland Hills, CA with their three daughters, Jenny, Lily, & Julia, and their dog, Albany.

I got a e-mail directly from Kelly and she was so sweet. She told me all about her personal experiences with loosing weight and keeping it off. It was so nice to actually talk with someone and not just get a quick response. You can really tell that this company is small but mighty!

Here is the option that I went for!

I got the "olive" tote and four of the easy lunchboxes! Man...It really is easy!!! Check out just how much you can pack in these babies! Not just for kids...these really are great for portable meals!

After using them myself I am hooked! I have already packed and stacked my meals and they are ready for me. I am so glad to say goodbye to tin foil, baggies and plastic wrap! These totally saved me, in more ways than one! Being able to "grab n go" is a HUGE deal when you are as busy as I am, every moment that I am able to save is a plus!

Would you like to have a set of your own Easy Lunchboxes?

Well one lucky reader will have the chance! Kelly is allowing one US resident (and a reader of mine of course) a set! All you have to do is:

1) Leave me a comment telling me what you like about easylunchboxes.com

2) you can link me on your blog

3) you can tweet, facebook or myspace about the post.

You have three chances to enter! Do all three and your name will be entered three times! I will announce the winner of the give-a-way on Tuesday of next week. So keep reading!

Thanks Kelly for sending me a great product! Everyone in the office is asking about them and I am thrilled to tell them about Easylunchboxes.com!

Have a wonderful day guys and gals! I will see you soon!

-Heather