Gingerbread Balls

Yup, you heard me right. :)

When I found these little suckers, they totally peaked my interest. I LOVE Christmas cookies, especially gingerbread!! What a surprisingly delicious way to enjoy the spiced flavor of gingerbread cookies without the guilt! With only 58 calories per serving, these treats will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you off Santa’s naughty list.

Gingerbread Balls

Total Time: 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: about 18 servings, 1 ball each

Ingredients:
¼ cup almond flour
¾ cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free
1 scoop Vanilla protein powder of your choice (I use Shakeology)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1¼ cups pitted dates, packed

Preparation:
1. Place almond flour, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a food processor; pulse until mixture is the consistency of flour.
2. Add half of dates; pulse until well blended.
3. Add remaining dates; pulse until mixture forms a uniform dough.
4. Shape dough into eighteen walnut-sized balls; place in airtight container.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Cut Your Workout Time in HALF

I found this article on the Team Beachbody Blog, and I LOVE the practical tips offered here. Who DOESN'T want to cut their workout time in half? We're all crazy busy, and fitting in a good sweat sesh can be challenging at times. Why not make your time as efficient as possible?

"Getting your daily dose of exercise used to be easy (at least by American Heart Association standards): Just walk briskly for a half hour. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity activity a day was all you needed to slash your risk of heart failure and improve overall health and wellness. But a new report in the journal Circulation reveals that the AHA’s guidelines fall way short of the actual amount of exercise required to reap those benefits. The new recommendation: One to two hours a day.

The report — a meta-analysis of 12 studies that followed 370,460 men and women who recorded their daily activities — correlated exercise duration with long-term heart health. The finding: While participants who followed the AHA’s guidelines experienced a “modest” (10 percent) reduction in the risk of heart failure, those who exercised for twice and four times as long (60 and 120 minutes), experienced a 20 percent and 35 percent reduction, respectively.

Does that mean you should double, triple, or quadruple your exercise time? Not if you know this workaround: Amp up the intensity of your workouts. One minute of vigorous activity (think: running, playing basketball, cycling uphill, or doing a metabolic training program like INSANITY) equals two minutes of moderate intensity activity (walking, riding a bike leisurely, pushing a lawnmower), according to the Centers for Disease Control. In short, by sweating harder, you can cut your workout time in half, finishing each sweat session in 30 minutes or less.

How hard is hard enough? If you find holding a conversation difficult, you’ve nailed it. But you should never finish a workout feeling drained. Your goal is always to walk away feeling energized, not spent and defeated.

Now for the caveat: Don’t stop walking. You don’t have to carve out time to walk laps around your office building, but spreading short bouts of moderate intensity activity throughout your day will ultimately add up to greater mobility, more energy and stamina, and less fat and fatigue."

What do you think? Doable? 

Gingerbread Protein Pancakes... YUM!

I came across this recipe this morning, and I wanted to share... these are DEFINITELY making my weekend brunch menu!! Enjoy!!

Total Time: 20 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.
Yield: Makes 3 servings, 2 pancakes each

Ingredients:

1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 scoop whey protein powder, vanilla flavor, or equivalent (or Beachbody Base Shake)
⅓ cup reduced fat (1%) plain Greek yogurt
4 large egg whites (½ cup)
¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 tsp. spice mix (see below)
½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. molasses (Blackstrap if possible)
Nonstick cooking spray
¼ medium pear, cut into bite-sized chunks (optional)

Preparation:

1. To make spice mix, combine cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
2. Combine protein powder, yogurt, egg whites, oats, coconut flour, 1 tsp. spice mix, baking powder, and molasses in a medium bowl; mix well.
3. Heat large nonstick skillet lightly coated with spray over medium heat.
4. Ladle about ¼ cup batter for each pancake; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form on top. Flip. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Repeat until all batter is used.
6. Serve two pancakes topped with pear, if desired; serve immediately.