Posted 11/22/2017  12:00:00 AM By:   : 141 comments   53,505 views

Posted 11/16/2017  12:00:00 AM By:   : 123 comments   46,134 views

When your family is hungry, you're tired and time-crunched, and you've got better ways to spend your evening than washing a sink full of stock pots and casserole dishes, the sheet pan could quickly become your new best friend. Don't let its shallowness fool you—all on its own, this simple kitchen staple can serve as the foundation for countless delicious, nutritious meals.

For those nights when you've got plenty of ingredients but inspiration is in short supply, try one of these easy, surprisingly satisfying one-sheet-pan recipes for quick prep, delicious results and easy, breezy cleanup!

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Breakfast Made Easy: 30 Days of Healthy Ideas

You know you should eat breakfast. You want to eat breakfast. But when you're tired and time-crunched and racing against the clock, it can seem a whole lot easier to go without -- or to grab something with little to no nutritional value. A donut may save you some time, but you'll pay for it in calorie currency (and the ensuing mid-day sugar crash). 

To help with your morning meal planning, we found 30 healthy breakfasts that will help you start the day satisfied, and keep you full and energized all the way to lunch. Simply click on the graphic to open and print it (and don't forget to share!). 

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35 Healthy Asian-Inspired Recipes

Herbs and spices and curry, oh my! There's nothing better than enjoying a flavorful Asian dish from your favorite Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean or Malaysian restaurant—unless it's preparing it yourself from the comfort of home. With an amazing recipe, the right ingredients and some culinary creativity, you can create a kung-pao-tastic dish that's just as delicious as your favorite takeout joint—and most likely considerably cheaper and way healthier.
 
Need some Asian inspiration? Here are some of our favorite regional recipes from talented food bloggers, along with a few from our own SparkPeople members.

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14 Memes That Every Runner Will Definitely Appreciate

You love it, you hate it. Some days it exhilarates you, other days it exhausts you. One morning you can’t wait to lace up and pound the pavement, and the next it practically takes a crowbar to pry you out of bed.

You’re a runner. Sometimes a reluctant runner, but a runner nonetheless.

For those days when motivation is lagging and you’re tempted to trade the track for some tacos, a little humor can go a long way toward reminding you why you started—and why not finishing is simply not an option. We compiled some of our favorite memes created by the only people who truly “get it”—other runners.

Browse, laugh, share—and then get out there!

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Snack Smarter With These 14 Healthier Packaged Snacks

To many dietitians and nutritionists, "packaged" may as well be a four-letter word. That's because it usually equates to "processed," which is pretty much code for unhealthy. In an ideal world, all of us would choose fresh, whole foods without added preservatives, sugars, fats or sodium—but here in the real world, where time is short and to-do lists are long, most of us will end up settling for a packaged snack now and then to keep our "hangriness" at bay.
 
Whether you're packing kids' lunches, replenishing your office snack stash or making a midday run to the office vending machine, keep in mind that not all packaged foods are created equal. Although nothing is as good as food in its pure, unadulterated state, some bagged snacks are healthier than others.

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Plateau Busters: Members & Experts Share Their Tips for Success

Who says losing weight is hard? Just a few weeks into your new, healthy lifestyle, you've already dropped a full pants size and your weight loss is in the double digits. You've come to love stepping on the scale, feeling as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning as you watch the pounds melt away. Clothes from the "too-snug" section of your closet are now in your regular rotation, and your goal weight no longer seems as realistic as scaling Mt. Everest.

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Escape Your Snack Rut With 30+ Healthier Ideas

You woke up early, got in a pre-dawn workout and ate the healthy breakfast you prepped the night before. At work, you park as far from the door as possible and turn a blind eye to the breakroom donuts. When lunchtime rolls around, you resist the urge to join the group for Chinese food and stick to the salad you packed. But then three o’clock hits. Lunch is a distant memory, your belly is growling, your energy is flagging and you’ve been working so hard—haven’t you earned a little treat? Before you know it, you’ve fallen prey to a bag of vending machine chips, your co-worker’s candy jar or [insert Bad Snack Choice here].

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Should You Add Pond Scum to Your Diet?

Nutritional Makeup of Spirulina

A single tablespoon (7 grams) of dried spirulina powder contains the following nutrients:

• 4 grams of protein (60 to 70 percent of its dry weight)
• 2.0 milligrams iron (11%)
• 0.167 milligrams thiamin, B1, (11%)
• 0.257 milligrams riboflavin, B2, (15%)
• 0.897 milligrams niacin, (4%)
• 0.427 milligrams copper (21%)

The super powder is also a good source of magnesium, potassium and manganese. As an added bonus for those trying to lose weight, each tablespoon has only one gram of fat.

Potential Health Benefits of Spirulina

• Protein Boost: The high ratio of protein in spirulina could help to boost energy, fuel your muscles and keep you feeling fuller longer.
• Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Spirulina contains the powerful antioxidant phycocyanin, which helps to fight the chronic inflammation that can be a contributing factor in cancer and other diseases.
• Reduced Cancer Risk: The super powder has been linked to reduced cancer risk, especially oral cancer. In one controlled study, farmers in India who had existing precancerous mouth lesions consumed one gram of spirulina per day. After one year, 45 percent of the participants saw a complete disappearance of the lesions. (More studies are needed to confirm this effect in other populations.)
• Stronger Immunity: The blue-green algae has been credited with boosting the immune system, particularly in adults 50 and over, but again, more evidence is needed to confirm these claims.
• Alleviation of Allergies: Some research has suggested that spirulina’s anti-inflammatory effects could help to alleviate allergies. In one controlled study, participants who consumed two grams of the algae each day noticed a dramatic improvement in nasal allergy symptoms, including nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal congestion and itching.
• Improved Endurance: Other evidence indicates that pond scum could make you a better athlete—or at least enable you to maintain longer periods of exercise. One study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that participants who added spirulina to their daily diet for a three-week period experienced less muscle damage and were able to exercise longer than those who didn’t consume the algae.
• Reduced Blood Sugar: In a controlled study, people with Type 2 diabetes experienced a significant lowering of blood glucose levels after two months of supplementing their diet with spirulina.
• Lower “Bad" Cholesterol: Patients with high cholesterol levels who consumed just one gram of spirulina per day for 12 weeks saw a significant reduction in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is the type that can raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. 

Who Should Avoid Spirulina?

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s best to avoid spirulina, as its effects on the fetus are still unknown. People with autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, should also steer clear of the scum, as it could stimulate the immune system and intensify symptoms. If you have a genetic disorder called phenylketonuria, spirulina could worsen the condition. Hand points out that spirulina supplements could possibly be unsafe for children, as they can lead to the accumulation of heavy metals like lead and mercury. 

Although spirulina is packed with nutrients and there is some encouraging evidence of potential benefits, more research is needed to confirm just how much it could boost your health.

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5 Ways Grocery Stores Are Helping You Get Healthier

These days, grocery stores are more than just food and beverage repositories. In addition to housing all the ingredients you need to eat, drink and snack, they can also help you lead a healthier lifestyle. With the ongoing rise in obesity rates, more supermarkets are stepping up and implementing initiatives to help consumers make better choices about what they’re putting in their bodies.

Of course, there are still plenty of pockets of temptation, and not all stores are stepping up to the extent of these 10 healthiest grocery chains. While the end caps and checkout counters will always try to tempt you with prepackaged treats, it’s comforting to know that some stores are making headway toward some of these health services.

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What Do You Wish People Knew About Being Overweight?

If you've never been overweight, it's impossible to know what day-to-day life is really like. And it's easy to assume that an obese person has made poor choices that led to their situation—they must eat a lot of unhealthy food and never exercise, right? And beyond the more obvious issues, like low self-esteem and ill-fitting clothes, a slimmer person likely has no concept of the daily challenges of obesity.

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40 Things to Do Instead of Eat When You're Bored

After a long day at work, at school, in carpool lanes or {insert daily obligation here}, your energy reserves and brain power have been thoroughly zapped. You manage to squeeze in a quick workout, grab dinner, knock out some laundry and maybe answer a few emails—and then before you know it, you find yourself halfway through a bag of chips, a pint of ice-cream or maybe just a few too many crackers with hummus. You're not quite sure how or why you started eating in the first place…after all, dinner was just an hour or two ago, and you're certainly not hungry. It's just that for the first time all day, you finally have some down time, your phone has stopped ringing, no one is clamoring for your attention, your mind is wandering aimlessly and the food is just right there…

Posted 8/3/2017  12:00:00 AM By:   : 226 comments   277,039 views

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