Align Pilates® Minneapolis

Chocolate is good. But the unattractive side effects of a steady consumption of chocolate? Not so much. But hang on, choco-lovers. We’ve got good news. Say goodbye to the unsightly relatives of chocolate: overindulgence, stomach ache and the ever-popular, back fat. Dean & Deluca, the “purveyors of fine food, wine & kitchenware,” have introduced a healthy brand of chocolate: Moo Kids Chocolate Bars. Okay, so they may have been made for children. But these yummy morsels are created from nutritious Swiss milk chocolate, natural grains and other all-natural, absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious ingredients. And there’s nothing childish about a wholesome snack, now is there?

We hereby give you permission to unleash the kind in moo. I mean you.

So long, February! At long last, we have reached March. So far, it has arrived like a docile lamb. Although we know that winter’s lion will have at least one last roar before we enter into full-on spring, we have absolutely no complaints about the upper 40 degree temps we are reveling here in the Twin Cities. (Could we reach 50 degrees by Friday?!) And even though Ms. Nature is probably being a horrible tease right now, this does not mean we can’t start planning for spring. To that end, here is a helpful list of timely March to-do’s.

‘Tis the season to whip out your mops and brooms, start driving away the dust and grime that Old Man Winter tracked in under his boots and prepare to let a little sunshine in. It’s also a good time to not only prepare your home, but prepare your body and mind for the upcoming season: start stocking up on spring foods, get those pesky finances in order and ditch a day at the gym to work out in the fresh air.

After all, there is a time for all things—a time for work, a time for play and a time to clean your dryer vents.

The shower. Most of us have one every day, maybe even twice a day. Heck, why not? Besides keeping you squeaky clean, it’s often the only time during your day that you can actually have a moment to clear the head, wash the grime away and belt out that favorite Gloria Gaynor song. So I bet you think you’ve got this cleaning thing down, huh? Well you might want to think again. Turns out what you do between the tiles and loofah could use some improvement.

So here are some shower tips to make the most out of your cleansing experience. My personal favorite: “Just like the sponge in your kitchen sink, your washcloth can attract unsavory characters faster than Cancun during spring break.”

So tart showering wisely and who knows? Maybe you’ll have a little more fun while you are at it. And remember, what happens in the shower stays in the shower.

Has the avocado stolen the apple’s job as the daily warden of health, the guardian of the body, the friendly protector against Mr. or Ms. Doctor? Perhaps. At least according to yesterday’s Star Tribune.

Despite its reputation as the misunderstood fruit, the avocado is a good guy, not a bad guy. For starters, avocados are high in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), which lower the naughty cholesterol and increase the goody-goody cholesterol. MUFA’s are also key component of the Flat Belly Diet.

Our pal the avocado is also very versatile. Whether it’s a healthy sandwich spread you crave, or a tasty dip (who doesn’t like guacamole?) to go with your low cal snack of choice, the avocado is the man (or woman) for the job. Apparently, avocado can even double as a face moisturizer. Can your Granny Smith do that?

Hit the road, apple. A new fruit is in town.

Bonus: Check out these tips and tasty recipes and catch the avocados while they are in season.

When it comes to snack calories, 100 is the magic number. You name the snack, there’s probably a 100 calorie pack for it. (My current favorite is the Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almond 100 Calorie Pack.) But when it’s not tied up in a neat and convenient package, it’s hard to eyeball how much of your favorite treat adds up to 100 cals. Well, my mother always said when in doubt, take a quiz. Ergo, I give you the 100 Calorie Quiz. It tests your snack savvy by presenting two different amounts of the same kind of food. Your job is to decide which quantity adds up to 100 calories. Are you a Master Snacker, or just a Smart Snacker? Who knows? So choose wisely, my friends, and you may even learn something along the way. You can thank my mother later.

Look ahead to the 2010 you. Are your thinner, healthier, sexier? If you are like millions of other new year’s resolutioners out there, you’ve probably made a commitment to start eating better or shaping up this year. It makes perfect sense. Who doesn’t want to be fit and look great for the upcoming year? So why can it be so hard to make fitness goals and stick to them for the duration? Hmm. Good question. What better place to go with this quandary than HungryGirl.com? Her common-sense tips and tricks to leading a healthy AND fulfilling life are right on the money. Check out her TOP ATE tips to successful eating in 2010.

Do eat-right lists freak you out? Don’t fret. When the number one tip is Don’t go on a diet, it’s pretty easy to keep reading. And if you do, you’ll find that Hungry Girl is also a big fan of keeping a food journal. Committing to writing down your consumption habits every day can be a big hurdle to jump over in January, when the holiday comfort-food coma has fully set in. But, if you follow Hungry’s advice and allow yourself be okay with missing a day or two (and even “cheat”), the t-totaling becomes a lot less threatening. To get you started, we found this hand dandy Fitness.doc notebook, where you can track your food and weight goals in one swoop. And because it’s the same size as a checkbook, you can easily tote it around from home to work to gym and back again.

No problem. You can thank us later…like when you fit into your favorite skinny jeans.

Oh Martha. I want to dislike you but I can’t. Especially when you throw me a bone like this Wake-Up Scrub recipe. It sounds delightful and will definitely be brewing up a batch this weekend.

Tools and Materials

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup pure turbinado sugar
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita)
• 1/2 cup used coffee grounds from a freshly brewed pot

Wake-Up Scrub How-To
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; using a fork, thoroughly blend. Transfer the scrub to a wide mouthed jar, and store in a cool place until ready to use. The scrub will keep for one to two weeks, longer if refrigerated.

2. While showering, apply handfuls of the coffee scrub to wet skin in circular motions, starting at the feet and working up. The scrub contains oil, so it’s best to do this over a rubber mat to avoid slipping. Pay particular attention to rough spots such as heels, ankles, knees, and elbows.

3. After scrubbing, cleanse skin as usual using a mild natural soap or body wash. Pat skin dry with a fluffy towel, and follow with lotion to seal in the moisture.

You can tell a lot by a person’s hands, like how their legs or inner ears are feeling.

It’s called reflexology—the theory that there are certain areas, or reflexes, in the hands and feet that correspond to muscles and organs in other parts of the body. The goal is to massage or apply pressure to these wonder spots in order to prompt positive responses in the counterparts and improve one’s overall health. Apply pressure to your finger tips to relieve a headache. Massage the palm to alleviate an upset stomach. Press the upper wrist area to soothe that testy testicle.

In all earnestness, this is a great alternative medicine practice. And you already have all the equipment you need soothe what pains you—no doctor’s office or pill required. Check out this site to see the different hand and feet reflexes and corresponding body parts. Now, start gently massaging and see what you find.

Go ahead. Try your hand at it.

Pop the cork and hand me a glass. It’s the holiday season—time to eat, drink and be merry.

Despite Grandma’s malfunctioning hearing aid and Uncle Jimmy’s funny albeit inappropriate jokes, we minded our P’s and Q’s and survived Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie and all. But the holiday joy has just begun. Oh yes, kwana-hanukkah-xmas is looming ahead. And that means more merry making. I like to call this point in time the holiday holding pattern. While we indulged during last weekend’s festivities, we know that we have some time in between now and the next holiday smorgasbord to monitor our intake of food and drink…so come the end of December, we can eat our pecan pie (bar any seasonal pecan shortages, of course) AND feel okay about it.

But this doesn’t mean we have to shun all good things. Nay, instead take this in-between time to practice a little rational indulgence. To that end, here are some healthy vino tid bits and sensible yet enjoyable recipes that don’t skimp on deliciousness.

With a little grit and determination, you’ll be fa la la la la-ing all the way to the next holiday.

Here’s a great recipe for a homemade body scrub. Perfect for this time of season with the ginger and cinnamon. Pour it in a small Kerrs jar, wrap it with a bow and you have an instant gift for a girlfriend. If you can dare to part with it, that is.

1 cup sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger root
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup olive oil

Ginger is well known in holistic medicine for its healing properties. Its ability to reduce inflammation make it an ideal ingredient for softening and smoothing the skin in exfoliating products. It also adds a wonderful fragrance to the scrub when freshly ground. Cinnamon is strongly stimulating to the skin and warms the body. Olive oil, used as a base oil in this recipe, also softens and moisturizes the skin. I added the brown sugar to help thicken up the mixture.