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GIVEAWAY: (Book) Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam

December 22, 2011 By

Since having children, one of the things I have become more aware of are the large number of food allergies out there! I knew of a few, but it was only recently that I started hearing about celiac disease and other gluten related allergies or intolerances. A former pastor of mine was diagnosed with celiac after a lengthy unexplained illness and one of my very close friends has an intolerance, and all 3 of her children have varying degrees of gluten intolerances, to the point where they just avoid them completely due to the issues that arise from having just a small amount.

No one in my family has gluten issues, but I did notice that during at least the last two of my pregnancies, that gluten was a bit of an issue. Not so much that I couldn’t eat it all, but enough that I tried my best to stay away from the greatest triggers. And so began my research into gluten-free living. We haven’t made the switch in our family, but I try to be very conscientious of what I provide at gatherings (like birthday parties) where our gluten-free friends will be attending. I find it easier to supply gluten free foods then peanut/nut free foods for some reason, perhaps because the nut allergy is more imminently life threatening, and therefore scarier, to me, then the gluten allergy (at least to my limited knowledge).

I was hoping to have the book in time to prepare some gluten-free cupcakes for my sons second birthday, but the postal service let me down again ;) (no matter where I order things from, it always takes longer to get to me then it takes for me to send something, very frustrating!). So then I thought I’d make some cupcakes for the kids Christmas concerts at school, but then I went hunting around my city for the ingredients I didn’t have on hand for the recipe I had selected, (agave nectar, grapeseed oil and almond flour) and I was very disappointed to only find the grapeseed oil readily available. I thought for sure I’d be able to find them all a little easier. After some research I have discovered that you can substitute out the agave nectar with honey at a 1:1 ratio and that I may need to order the almond flour online, so for the purposes of this review I am unable to tell you whether or not the recipes rock :( . But, what I can tell you is that the recipes are crazy simple and only require a short list of ingredients. Also, be sure to read the front of the cookbook, Elana gives many great tips and lots of information to help you get the optimal cupcake.

Head here to learn more about the author Elana Amsterdam. Or if you are looking for more gluten-free inspiration head on over to her blog, where she has many recipes listed, and you can see a listing of her other cookbooks if your looking for more gluten-free inspiration. Many of Elana’s family members suffer from celiac disease or have a gluten intolerance, so gluten-free cooking is something Elana takes very seriously.

If the pictures in this cookbook are any indication, these cupcakes are to die for! I can’t wait to get my almond flour so I can get baking!

Of course you can purchase this cookbook at most online retailers as well as at your local bookstore for $16.99.

Win it!

One of our lucky readers is going to win their very own copy of Gluten-Free Cupcakes!

REQUIRED COMMENT:   Head over to Elana’s blog and come back here and tell me a recipe you’d like to try or have tried.

BONUS #1: Follow @elanaspantry and @momof3boys3702 on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY

BONUS #2: Like Elana’s Pantry and 3 Boys and a Dog on FaceBook then share this post by clicking the FaceBook share button at the bottom of this post.

Other bonus entries:

  • #1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)
  • #2. Sign up for my NEW Weekly Newsletter.
  • #3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
  • #4. Put my button on your blog.
  • #5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.
  • #6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did! YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on January 5, 2011

OPEN TO: USA

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent a copy of this cookbook to help facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

 

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Filed Under: Giveaways, health, Homemaking / Housekeeping, Living and Lifestyles, Recipes, Recipes, Review and Giveaways, Reviews

Giveaway: Fit Moms for Life book

December 3, 2011 By

I was beyond excited about this book, because I have had a hard time losing the extra baby weight!  Hurray for a fantastic book!

About the Book (from the back cover)

In this book, you’ll discover:

31 transformation stories from women like you

A training program that burns fat while you sleep

How to burn 5-9 times more fat WITHOUT cardio

How to get your kids to eat healthy and move more

An eating plan and recipes for balanced meals

The ultimate form of accountability

One exercise that can shrink your waistline WITHOUT diet changes

The five pillars necessary for lasting success

About the Author (from his website)

My name is Dustin Maher  and I am a fitness professional living in Madison, WI.  I am 28 years old and absolutely love my job as a personal trainer/fitness instructor/writer/motivational speaker/and teacher.  I love helping everyone I come in contact with get in better shape. I especially enjoy helping moms to look even better than before having kids.

The first question I get asked a lot is, why a 28 year old single guy loves working with moms.  Well the answer to that question goes back many years to when my mom raised my 3 younger siblings and me, along with my dad.  She was a stay-at-home mom and did so much for her 4 children.  Looking back, I realized that she spent so much time taking care of her kids that she didn’t take time for herself.  I also realized that she didn’t have a good support group of other mothers who were motivated to get in shape and lose the baby fat.  I was very blessed to have a mom that was health conscious and cooked very healthy.  I learned a lot from her as she taught me what it meant to eat well.  I have also realized that when I can help a mom change the foods that she buys for her family and begins to exercise, her kids want to do what she is doing!  So not only do I get to help the mother out, but I get to help out the kids and maybe the husband (once in awhile) out as well.

When I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Kinesiology Exercise Science,  I immediately knew what I wanted to do!  I created a class called MamaTone Fitness.  The mission for MamaTone was to help moms realize that it was important to take care of there physical bodies, and that they could still achieve a great body after kids.  The second part of the mission was to connect mothers with each other so they could share life’s experiences with one another.

From MamaTone came Fit Fun Bootcamps, which in 3 years has grown to 10 locations and one of the largest bootcamp programs in the country.  Out of the success of the bootcamps, came calls and emails from around the world asking me to train them.  So from that, came my 28 DVDs which include: 12 month Fit Moms For Life DVDs, Got Core, Buns Guns Back and Shoulders, Ultimate Buddy Bootcamp, and BabyTone.

I have been blessed to have been on TV nearly 100 times, and been featured on numerous radio shows, magazines, and newspapers.

My Thoughts

Seriously, best book EVER!  I love, love, love it!  I might be getting this as a present for lots of women that I know who are having problems losing the weight!  I’m not giving up my copy!  As I read through, I would dogear the page that I wanted to reread or remember and have at least half of the pages dogeared!  The whole premise is “How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay Your Kids.”  Since I have five, I absolutely want that!  This book tells you step-by-step, how you can be a fit mom for LIFE, not lose twenty pounds, but be fit for life!  I know that if I’m going to lose weight and be fit, that I want to stay that way.  I don’t like fad diets that tell you exactly what to do, but if you mess up or go off, you gain all of the weight back.  Yikes!  Dustin gives you food tips, but you can have up to three cheat meals a week (although only one a day)!  Phew!  I know my poor kids would be terribly disappointed if we didn’t eat one of their favorites every week!  There are five pillars of health:  mindset, nutrition, strength training, burst training and environment.  He covers each in depth and shows actual “Fit Moms for Life Transformations” with before and after pictures!  I love seeing real people!  As for strenth training, the one exercise he gives is FANTASTIC!  I’ve been doing it for three days and already feel a little thinner and am building up stomach muscles that have never recovered from my daughter’s birth eleven months ago!  I’m THRILLED!  I’m looking forward to buying some of the workout DVDs to go along with it!  This book is changing my life, which is exciting!  Everyone should have their own!

Buy it!

This book will be released on December 5th!  You can buy it here for $19.95 (plus shipping).  A fantastic price for something that will change your life!

Win it!

One lucky winner will win their very own copy of the book worth $19.95!

REQUIRED COMMENT: Go to his website here and register for his newsletter.  It’s fantastic! THEN, you can leave a comment after completing each of the bonus items.

BONUS #1: Follow @Fitmomsforlife and @momof3boys3702 on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY

BONUS #2: Like Fit Moms For Life and 3 Boys and a Dog on FaceBook then share this post by clicking the FaceBook share button at the bottom of this post.

Other bonus entries:

  • #1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)
  • #2. Sign up for my NEW Weekly Newsletter.
  • #3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
  • #4. Put my button on your blog.
  • #5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.
  • #6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did! YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on December 17th

OPEN TO: USA Only

*Disclaimer:  I was provided this book by Dustin Maher, and was not compensated for my opinions.  They are my very own and can’t be bought!*

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Filed Under: 3 Boys & A Dog General Posts, Fitness, Giveaways, health, Living and Lifestyles, Mind and Body, Parenting and Family, Review and Giveaways Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

GIVEAWAY: Konsyl Psyllium Fiber Products

November 24, 2011 By


Did you know that November is National Diabetes Awareness Month?

With nearly 26 million children and adults in America living with diabetes, and another 79 million at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, the disease is taking a devastating physical, emotional and financial toll on our country.  Yet, most Americans don’t consider diabetes a serious matter. They feel it is someone else’s responsibility; someone else’s problem. (From the American Diabetes Association Website)

We’ve all heard about the digestive and other health benefits of having enough fiber, but in addition to helping promote regularity and good digestive health  adequate soluble fiber intake offers an abundance of health benefits, ranging from a reduced risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol, to reducing blood sugar absorption, thereby assisting in the management of Type-2 Diabetes. Fiber can also aid in weight loss by making you feel fuller longer.

Psyllium fiber, such as the fiber found in Konsyl Fiber Supplements, is a bulk-forming soluble fiber derived from the outer coating, or “husk” of the psyllium plant’s seeds. Because psyllium does not come from wheat it is therefore gluten free and safe for celiac patients. Konsyl products are also safe for pregnant and nursing women. Just one serving of Konsyl Original Formula 450g provides 6 grams of psyllium fiber (equal to 3 grams of soluble fiber), 75% more than the leading brands.

How do we know if we are actually getting the recommended daily fiber intake? The American Dietetic Association recommends getting between 25-38 grams of fiber each day.  Konsyl Psyllium Fiber Supplements, along with a healthy diet that includes plenty of fiber rich foods, will help you achieve your daily fiber goal.

  • 38 grams for men under the age of 50 to 21 years of age
  • 30 grams for men over 50 years of age
  • 25 grams for women under the age of 50 to 21 years of age
  • 21 grams for women over 50 years of age

While I would like to think I am getting enough fiber in my diet, I have to be honest and say that I don’t. I try to make healthy decision but with a busy lifestyle, chasing after kids and organizing a household, sometimes, okay often, I make the wrong food choices. That’s why I decided to give Konsyl Psyllium Fiber Supplements a try!
I decided to try the 100% Natural Psyllium Fiber Supplement in capsule form and the Orange Flavour Balance Psyllium Fiber & Prebiotic Inulin Fiber. When you purchase the product it comes with a shaker cup so that it gets mixed up properly! It’s recommended that you take each dose with a full 8oz of water or other non-carbonated liquid so that you don’t choke.
My (or rather my sister in laws) experience thus far, we’ve only tried the Balance powder so far, and have found it to be quite nice. You measure out the required dose in the shaker cup and add water to the fill line then put the lid on and shake. Our first try it seemed that she didn’t shake it enough for all the powder to dissolve so it was a bit grainy but not unpleasantly so and there was a bit leftover at the end which she scooped up with a spoon and found the texture very gel like but again this wasn’t unpleasant. The orange flavour isn’t strong so if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like orange flavoured drinks then getting the flavoured powder isn’t an all around horrible experience. She said it tasted like a watered down version of Tang. She would likely prefer the unflavoured powder but I was intending on sampling this myself but because I haven’t had my baby yet I decided I would wait and try it myself after the birth (since I have no idea when the baby is coming and at the time of writing this post I am at my due date and being told it could be any day now). She hasn’t noticed any “full” feeling yet but then it’s also early in our testing. Though she did mention that after taking it she didn’t feel any need to have her usual afternoon snack either. The results of course may vary with each individual.
I am looking forward to trying out the products myself especially after 40+ weeks of pregnancy and occasional irregularity because of that. I’ve always known the importance of having fiber in your diet but you can never really know the benefits until you are actually getting the right amount.

Konsyl Original 450g – the number one doctor recommended all natural psyllium fiber supplement-  is available in retail stores; other Konsyl products, as well as Konsyl Original, are conveniently available for purchase on www.konsyl.com  and on various e-tailers, such as drugstore.com, walmart.com, Amazon.com.

One lucky 3 Boys and a Dog reader will win 1 Konsyl product, you can choose from the Konsyl Original Formula 450g , Konsyl Psyllium Caps 100′s, Konsyl Orange Sugar Free Packets 30′s, or Konsyl Balance 300g (if you choose a powder you also get the shaker cup for free)

REQUIRED COMMENT:  Visit Konsyl and look around, then come back and tell me something else you learned or another of their products you’d like to try.

BONUS #1: Follow @konsyl and @momof3boys3702 on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY

BONUS #2: Like Konsyl and 3 Boys and a Dog on FaceBook then share this post by clicking the FaceBook share button at the bottom of this post.

Other bonus entries:

  • #1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)
  • #2. Sign up for my NEW Weekly Newsletter.
  • #3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
  • #4. Put my button on your blog.
  • #5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.
  • #6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did! YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on December 8, 2011

OPEN TO: USA and Canada

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent product from Konsyl to help facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

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Filed Under: Giveaways, health, Living and Lifestyles, Mind and Body, Review and Giveaways

How to Get a Child Off the Couch and Active

November 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Getting kids away from their TVs, computers, and gadgets is one of the greatest challenges today’s parents face, and it is not getting any easier. Many parents understandably want their kids to be up to date with all the modern technology, but for every gadget and game our children gain, something is lost. Today’s kids are losing interest in the simple enjoyment of outdoor activities and sports. If we do not push back against this trend, we may be raising a generation of overweight and unhealthy grownups.

Healthy households

For parents who want to get their kids active, it is important to establish moral authority by getting active themselves. It will not work if you command your child to go out and play while remaining inactive yourself. There must be a household culture that encourages good habits as a matter of course.

Parents too often consider themselves above the law, so to speak, when it comes to doing what we urge our children to do. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you work hard to make a living and also run a family, you do not have time to set a good example through exercise. But in reality, there is time for all these things. It is about making a priority of exercise.

If it helps, think of it this way: Every parents wants to live to a ripe old age so they can see their children grow up, and exercise is one of the key ingredients in achieving this. So even if you have to set aside other nonwork activities, make daily exercise your most important appointment. Adopting this type of attitude will be good for the whole family.

Impose healthy activities

Most kids fully understand why it is important to be active and get exercise every day. They just either do not care or prefer more sedentary activities. But if no amount of talking up the importance of health is going to change a child’s mind, what are parents to do?

The answer is simple: Present alternatives, and make your child try them. Remember, when your child is fully absorbed in watching TV, surfing the web, or playing video games, the idea of going outside or participating in a sport is not going to seem very appealing. This is one of those situations in which you must exert some parental authority, even if it is difficult at first.

There are a few ways to approach the situation. One is to tell your child that they will be participating in a sport (or another physical activity) and allowing them to choose which one. If necessary, present a few choices. Kids do not always take initiative on their own, so parents need to be front and center in encouraging activity.

Restrict less healthy activities

If applying parental authority via gentle suggestion and encouragement does not work, it is time to take it to the next level. Many kids will never give up their sedentary activities until their parents actively place limits and set rules. This is not the most enjoyable part of parenting, but it is something we all must do from time to time.

If you need your child to get more physical activity, it is a simple formula: Restrict the things that prevent him or her from getting that physical activity. For many parents, the magic number seems to be two hours of media time per day-which should include TV, video games, internet, and all other electronic devices. This has been confirmed by multiple studies finding that kids who consume two hours or less are healthier than those who consume two hours or more.

And ultimately, while no one is suggesting that today’s kids should have no access to the latest technologies, it is up to the parents to use their discretion. If computer, video game, or phone use is getting out of hand, remember that there was once a time when young people were perfectly content without these things. Our kids, too, can learn to entertain themselves in other ways.

 

Guest article provided by Jamell Andrews who authors many insightful articles on parents and children. She is a firm believer in the many uses of natural remedies for colic.

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Sweetening Up Lunch Time With A Healthy Treat

October 17, 2011 By 3 Comments

As part of the Truvia Lunchbox Makeover Challenge, I’ve been using Truvia natural sweetener as a sugar substitute in our kitchen for the past week.

What Is Truvia?

Truvia comes from the stevia plant, and is a natural zero-calorie alternative to sugar. One packet of Truvia (think the size of a regular sugar packet) provides the equivalent sweetness of two teaspoons of regular sugar.

Why Use A Sugar Substitute?

According to Dietitian.com, one teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories. That might not seem like much, but think about all the yummy sweets your family likes and suddenly those calories quickly add up.

I pulled a couple things out of my pantry to see what kind of calorie impact our sugar intake has. Here’s what I found:

  • Kool Aid – 2 Quarts of Kool Air uses one cup of sugar, according to the package directions.
  • Pumpkin Pie – my recipe calls for one cup of sugar
  • Instant chocolate pudding – although the recipe doesn’t call for added sugar, the pre-packaged mix already includes 17g of sugars.
Now, here’s the scary part. One cup of sugar is equal to 48 teaspoons. 48 x 16 = 768 calories.
That’s a big number, but that’s for the whole package, not per serving. So let’s break it down a little farther and see what the impact is per serving:
  • Kool Aid – 8 servings per package – 768 / 8 = 96 calories from sugar per serving
  • Pumpkin Pie – I normally cut my pie into 6 slices – 768 / 6 = 128 calories from sugar per serving
  • Instant Pudding – 4 servings per container – 768 / 4 = 192 calories from sugar per serving
Knowing that my family is likely to include at least one sweet snack in their daily meals, I see using Truvia as an easy way to cut back on calories while still satisfying their sweet tooth.

How Does It Taste?

As part of the Truvia Lunchbox Makeover Challenge, I had the opportunity to taste test it and see how it compared to regular sugar. The obvious choice to start for my husband’s weekend coffee. Jason works late night shifts on Friday and Saturday, so on the weekends, he normally grabs a cup of coffee to help get him going in the morning.
Jason said he didn’t really taste much of a difference. He thought it might taste like artificial sweetener, but he said he could taste the cream he added more than the Truvia.
I was interested to see how it would hold up on a larger scale, so I tried my hand at the Easy Chocolate Pudding recipe from the Truvia website.
Admittedly, I’ve never made chocolate pudding from scratch. I usually go with the instant box stuff. Turns out making your own chocolate pudding isn’t difficult at all. It took me about 10 minutes.
I whisked together the ingredients.
Stirred in the milk and popped the whole she-bang into the microwave.
Heated for a few minutes, added chocolate, whisked some more, heated more, and soon enough, I had chocolate pudding. (Sorry, I don’t have photos of the finished pudding – Jason took it all to work before I could take one.)
I did sample a little before sending it off with him. It was pretty good, but I could definitely taste the Truvia. It does have a bit of a low-cal taste to it, but it’s not unpleasant the way some artificial sweeteners taste. I liked that it was a sugar-free snack. I have a friend with diabetes, and I know he’ll love this.
You can find more information about Truvia and check out great recipe ideas on their website.

Do you think you could use Truvia to improve your kid’s school lunches or your own?

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Filed Under: health, Meals / Menus
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