April 4 Steps To Successfully Cut Down Sugar In Your Diet!

Upcoming Events April 15- Early Dissmissal Wellness Sponsored Lunch April 16- Family Wellness Night April 22- Wellness Potluck Theme: Secret Ingredient

The average American adult consumes the equivalent of about 32 teaspoons of sugar per day. Sugar is really the number one food additive: it is added to drinks, often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, to bread, sauces, dressings, and to all kinds of processed foods including many low-fat products. Cutting down sugar in your diet may be one of the best actions you can take to improve your health and your weight. And you don’t need to have tremendous amounts of willpower or to go cold turkey (unless you want to do this, of course). 1. Give yourself 30 days (or more) 2. Identify your #1 source of sugar and start there 3. Eat more real food 4. Sleep your cravings away To read more visit this link! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-ricci/4-steps-to-successfully-cut-down-sugar-in-yourdiet_b_6893154.html?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

Words to AVoid!!

Secret Ingredient Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray One 15-ounce can black beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained ½ cup honey or agave nectar ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons chia seeds 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 tablespoons canola oil, expeller pressed ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup dairy-free, dark chocolate chips ½ cup chopped walnuts Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Place the black beans, honey, cocoa powder, chia seeds, vanilla, canola oil and baking powder in a blender. Process until smooth. Scrape down the sides halfway through blending if needed. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and walnuts evenly across the top of the brownies. 4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the edges pull away from the side of the pan and the brownies are firm. 5. Cool for a few minutes, and then slice into 16 squares. http://fitbottomedeats.com/2014/08/black-bean-brownies-with-walnuts-recipe/#_a5y_p=2293871

Sweet Potato Brownies

Ingredients -1 bar (3.5 oz) dark chocolate -1.5 T coconut oil -1/4 C cocoa powder -1 T vanilla -1/2 t cinnamon -1/4 t espresso powder (can be omitted) -flesh of two medium-small sweet potatoes (2 C); give them a whirl through the food processor for a smoother texture -1 egg -2 T ground flax -1/4 C pure maple syrup -1/2 t baking powder -1/4 C gluten-free flour blend -hefty pinch of sea salt Directions 1. Pre-heat oven to 325 and grease a small baking dish (I used a pie dish) with olive oil. 2. Melt the chocolate with the coconut in a double-boiler, or in the microwave (stir and check after 20 second intervals). 3. Add in the cocoa powder, and stir until there are no lumps or chunks 3. Next, stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, espresso powder and mix well, then the sweet potatoes, egg, flax and maple syrup. 4. For the dry ingredients, I put them into a sifter and sifted into the wet mixture before stirring. I’m sure you could just add them in and stir, and it would be bueno. 5. Pour mixture into the pie dish and bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. http://fitnessista.com/2012/06/sweet/

Brownie Kale Bites

Ingredients 12 oz Butternut Squash, cooked and cooled 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, melted 5 Eggs 1/2 Maple Syrup 10 oz Kale 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries 1/3 cup Coconut Flour 3/4 cup Cacao Nibs, or chocolate chips 4 Tbsp Cacao Powder 3/4 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Sea Salt Directions Preheat oven to 350F. Coat mini muffin tins with coconut oil Place Kale and Cranberries in food processor or blender and combine until smooth and nearly liquefied Mix together cooled butternut squash, Kale/Cranberries, Coconut Oil, Eggs, Maple Syrup in one bowl In another bowl, mix together coconut flour, cocoa nibs, cacao powder, baking powder and salt and mix. Now, mix together contents of both bowls and pour into muffin tins Bake for 25-30 minutes or until brownies are set. http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/brownie-kale-bites/

Cake Batter Dip

Ingredients 16oz Low-Fat Cottage Cheese 2 tsp Butter Extract 2 tsp Stevia Extract 1 tsp Vanilla Paste 1/2 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk 40g (1/3 cup) Oat Flour Natural Rainbow Sprinkles Directions In a blender or food processor, add the cottage cheese, extracts and milk. Puree until smooth. Add the oat flour and blend until smooth. Give it a taste and add more stevia or a pinch of salt if you like. Scoop into serving bowls and serve with fruit, crackers or spoons! http://dessertswithbenefits.com/healthy-cake-batter-dip/

Chocolate Pizza With Cocoa Cauliflower Crust

Ingredients 1/2 cup of cauliflower puree 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate 3 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquid 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons smooth almond butter or nut butter of choice 1 egg 1 banana sliced 1/4 cup chocolate chips A handful of shredded coconut Directions 1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. In a food processor pulse the florets of half a small cauliflower until you get a rice like size and texture, this should be about 1/2 cup. Then transfer the cauliflower rice to a large microwave safe bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. 3. Use a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture from the cauliflower. Let cool. 4. When the cauliflower has completely cooled use the same large bowl to combine the cauliflower puree, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon and stir until combined. 5. In a separate small bowl, put the chocolate, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Melt using the double boiler method, stirring frequently until completely melted and combined. *Set aside 2 tbs. of this chocolate mixture to drizzle on top of your completed Paleo Chocolate Pizza at the end. After you have set this aside, add the 2 Tbs. of almond butter and the egg to the chocolate mixture in the bowl, make sure it’s cool enough that it won’t cook the egg, and then continue to stir until thoroughly mixed. You should have a chocolate like pudding texture and consistency at this point. 6. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the large bowl with the cauliflower puree and dry ingredients to create your cocoa cauliflower dough. Mix until well combined. 7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the cocoa cauliflower dough into the center of the parchment paper and use a spoon to spread the mixture out evenly into a circle that is about 1/4 in thick. 8. Bake for 10 minutes. Let completely cool. Then spread the 1/4 cup of almond butter on top of the cocoa cauliflower crust. Now you can add the rest of the toppings, the sliced banana, chocolate chips, shredded coconut and the 2 Tbs. of chocolate mixture you set aside earlier. For a fancy chocolate drizzle just put the 2 Tbs. of the chocolate mixture into a ziploc bag, cut a small hole in the corner and then squeeze moving your hand across the top of the pizza to create a drizzle pattern. Enjoy! http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/2013/06/24/paleo-chocolate-pizza-with-a-cocoa-cauliflower-crust-you-can-trust/

Foodie Fave of the Month B-Up Bars

Protein Bars

How They Compare To Other Bars A lot of people compare these bars to Quest bars, but I don’t find it to be the best comparison as they are actually quite different. Even though both bars use IMO (isomalto-oligosaccharide which is a prebiotic fiber), B-Up bars are a much softer bar and don’t have chunks. B-Up bars melt faster if you warm them up, and their flavor offerings are much different than other brands. They really do have their own thing going on! If sodium is a concern, the B-Up bars have less than most other bars. The highest is 135mg per bar. The Ingredients I must say, I really love the ingredients in these bars! In all of their bars, they use natural sweeteners (stevia, xylitol & monk fruit). They also contain whey protein isolate, lots of fiber (from the IMO)and natural flavors. Nutrition per 1 bar: Cals: 210 Fat: 9g Carbs: 24g Fiber: 18g Sugars: 2g Sodium: 120mg Protein: 20g So with all that fiber, the net carbs are essentially 6 grams.

Where To Buy These bars are in GNC’s in the US, and if you’re in the US, you can get them directly from the B-Up website. If you’re in Canada, Popeye’s has B-Up bars and luckyvitamin.com, nutrition.com and vitacost.com all carry B-Up bars and ship to Canada. http://www.busybuthealthy.com/b-up-protein-bars-review/

Dale’s Raw Protein Bars

Dale’s Raw Protein bars are made high quality with all natural ingredients. They are not dehydrated , they are VEGAN and there are NO preservatives. They are made and packaged fresh each week, by hand, and shipped directly to your door from the production facility. These bars will last for 3 months, unless you freeze them, and let me tell you there is nothing better than a frozen Dale’s Raw Protein Bar. The Ingredients These bars are fresh raw nuts, seeds, fruit, plus hemp, pea, and brown rice protein. Only natural sugars, fibers and sweeteners have been used. Which means that you will be putting into your body the best foods for energy and recovery from workouts. They are even made with raw dried fruit that has NO ADDED SUGAR or oil. Some other unique ingredients used are Coconut Nectar for sweetener, Coconut Oil for texture and added health benefits, Goji Berries and Chia Seeds which is a powerful superfood, Raw Cacao for it’s antioxidants, and Dale’s Raw Protein. Here is the breakdown: 22g Brown Rice, Hemp, and Pea Protein, 7-8g Fiber, 90% Organic, Gluten Free, No Wheat or grains, Dairy Free, No Soy, No Preservatives, Vegan, No Artificial Sweeteners. Where To Buy Order online at http://www.dalesrawfoods.com/protein-bars

D’s Naturals

How they Compare To Other Bars Basically, it is an all-natural, dairy free/vegan version of the quest bar. They use organic rice and pea protein as their source. The great part is that all of the bars macros are nearly identical to quest. Ingredients D’s Naturals snacks are protein bars that are made up of 20 grams of plant based protein. They contain 160-180 calories and contain 1-2 grams of sugar. Where To Buy Order online at http://dnaturals.com/home-shop/

EPIC Bars

The EPIC Bars company describes the bars like this: The EPIC bar is a 100% grass fed animal based protein bar designed as nature intended. Paleo friendly, gluten free, and low in sugar, we believe that EPIC foods should inspire EPIC health. The Ingredients Bison Ingredients: Ingredients: Bsion, Uncured Bacon. No Nitrites or Nitrates Added (Pork, Water, Brown Sugar, Salt, Vinegar, Celery Powder, Sea Salt), Dried Cranberries (Cranberries, Apple Juice Concentrate), Lactic Acid, Celery Powder, Sea Salt. Lamb Ingredients: Ingredients: Organic Lamb, Organic Currants, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid, Celery Powder, Spices (Basil, Marjoram, Oregon, Rosemary, Red Pepper, Black Pepper), Sesame Seeds, Dehydrated Spearmint Leaves, Dehydrated Lemon Peel. Beef Ingredients: Ingredients: Organic Beef, Walnuts, Dried Cherries, Lactic Acid, Salt Celery Powder, Fine Black Pepper, Crushed Habanero

Where To Buy Whole Foods or order online at http://www.epicbar.com/

URAWk Bars

URAWk RAW energy bars are 100% RAW organic and are free of gluten, soy, dairy and grain. Featuring coconut butter, blue weber agave nectar and pink Himalayan sea salt URAWk Bars contain medium chain triglycerides, the pre-biotic fiber inulin, and essential minerals and elements such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. The bars provide protein and fast energy, increase metabolism, assist in weight loss, and support the immune system, nervous system, thyroid function and skin while providing important building blocks for every cell in the body. The Ingredients Almonds, Coconut, Raisins, Brazil Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Blue Weber Agave, Coconut Butter, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt. (Vary by bar) Nutrition information: 240 calories, 14g fat, 24g carbs, and 5g protein.

Where To Buy Order Online at http://www.urawkenergy.com/original-flavor/

Create Your Own Easy, Homemade, Natural Protein Bars...and save money too! Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Ingredients 1¾ cup regular rolled oats, divided 2 tablespoons flax seeds 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup lightly salted peanut butter ½ cup packed brown sugar or coconut sugar ½ cup lite coconut milk 1 tablespoon maple syrup ½ tablespoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup raisins Directions Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease and flour it. Place ¾ cup of the oats and the flax seeds in a spice grinder or food processor and whiz into flour, about 60 seconds. Add the ground oat mixture to a medium bowl with the remaining whole oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, blend the peanut butter, sugar, coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla, with a hand mixer or by hand, until combined and smooth. Stir in the oat mixture, it should be the consistency of a thick but slightly sticky cookie dough. Fold in the raisins. Scrape the dough into your prepared baking dish, and with lightly damp hands, firmly and evenly press the mixture in. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges and beginning to pull away from the sides ever so slightly. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting (can even chill first). If using parchment paper, pull the bars out onto a cutting board to cut (otherwise cut in the pan). Cut into 16 bars (cut in half, cut each half in half, turn the pan 90º and repeat). They are a little crumbly to cut but actually hold together quite well, particularly if stored in the refrigerator. If opting for an icing drizzle, add one of the options below to a plastic bag and seal. If too runny, chill the icing in the baggie for 10 minutes. Snip a small corner from the bottom of the bag, and pipe the icing onto the bars as desired. http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/peanut-butter-oat-bars

Crispy Chocolate Protein Bar

Ingredients 2 Tbsp Almond butter 2 Tbsp Pure maple syrup 1 Cup Unsweetened vanilla almond milk Pinch of salt ½ tsp Cinnamon 2 Large eggs 1/3 Cup Quinoa, uncooked ½ Cup Raisins 1/3 Cup Roasted Almonds, roughly chopped 1/3 Cup Dried apples, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp Chia seeds Directions 1. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and cut a piece of parchment to just fit in the bottom of it. I just traced my slow cooker on a large piece of parchment, cut it out and stuck it in. Spray the parchment with cooking spray, and press it down to adhere it to the slow cooker. 2. In a large, micro-wave safe bowl, combine the almond butter and maple syrup and melt until the almond butter is creamy, about 30 seconds. Whisk together the almond butter and maple syrup. Then, whisk in the almond milk, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until the milk is well incorporated with the almond butter. 3. Whisk in the eggs until well combined, then stir in all remaining ingredients thoroughly. 4. Pour the mixture into the prepared slow cooker and cook on LOW heat until the top of the bars just appear set, about 3 ½-4 hours. 5. Run a knife around the outside of the bars and remove the bowl from the slow cooker. Place into the refrigerate to cool completely. 6. Once cool, cut into bars and DEVOUR! http://www.foodfaithfitness.com/slow-cooker-quinoa-energy-bar-recipe/

Coconut Butter Protein Bars

Ingredients -Coconut Top Layer 1/2 cup coconut butter 2 Tbsp coconut oil- melted 2 Tbsp honey 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 1/2 scoops protein powder 2 Tbsp chia seeds 2 Tbsp coconut flour 1/4 cup shredded coconut 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut milk, or almond milk -Chocolate Top Layer 2 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil 2 Tbsp dark cocoa powder 1 Tbsp honey dash salt Directions 1. For the bottom layer: In a bowl, melt the coconut oil, add coconut butter, honey, and vanilla and mix until fully combined. Add in the protein powder, chia seeds, coconut flour, and shredded coconut. Mix well. Pour in almond milk 1/4 cup at first then adding more until a thick cookie-dough like texture is created. Press into a loaf pan or mold. Place in fridge until fully chilled. 2. Top layer: Melt second batch of coconut oil and honey together. Slowly add cocoa powder and mix until thoroughly mixed. Pour over chilled coconut mixture. Place back in fridge or freezer. Store chilled. http://www.yakkafit.com/coconut-butter-protein-bars/

Crispy Chocolate Protein Bar

Ingredients 1/2 cup oats 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut Pinch of sea salt 1/4 cup coconut oil 1/3 cup almond butter (creamy, unsalted, thin almond butter) 1 tablespoon honey Directions 1. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. 2. Line a small baking dish (around 8x8 works well) with parchment paper or plastic wrap. 3. Press the mixture into the bag and place in the fridge to harden, for about one hour. 4. Cut into bars and enjoy! Store covered in the fridge. http://fitnessista.com/2015/01/crispy-chocolate-coconut-proteinbars/

Carrot Cake Caveman Cookies

Ingredients 2 cups mini carrots 2 cups almonds 1 cup shredded coconut 1 tsp nutmeg 2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp coconut oil 3 eggs Directions 1. Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F 2. Combine all of your ingredients EXCEPT your eggs in a food processor, pulse it until all the pieces are small but still a little chunky 3. Combine that mixture with the eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well 4. Using your hands, form the mixture into “patties” and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. The size of the “patties” are up to you, or you could make the into bars 5. Bake until done, around 35-40 Minutes http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/recipes/desserts/carrot-cakecaveman-cookies/

Staff In the Spotlight Brad Schmitt

My name is Brad Schmitt and I have been a Physical Education teacher and coach in our district for 15 years. I have always led an active lifestyle growing up by participating in athletics in high school and college, but finding time to exercise as an adult presented more of a challenge. When I first began to exercise on my personal time, I only lifted weights and that seemed to be “ok” for a few years. As I aged a little bit, I felt that I needed to add variety to my daily routine. I began training for the Chicago Marathon (by no means am I a long distance runner) when I moved to Chicago in 2003 and truly began to enjoy the benefits of running. This made me realize the more I introduced myself to new training habits/ideas the more I enjoyed my time and the better the results. Being stuck in the same routine for extended periods of time made me a little bored and to this day I try to change what I am doing on a regular basis and I think that gives me a little more motivation to keep exercise a regular part of my life. I think adults get caught up in the fact that they don’t have enough time to exercise. There are plenty of intense exercise routines that would give an individual many benefits that might only take 20-30 minutes out of their day. I think that the amount of time you exercise is overrated and the importance of any type of exercise is underrated. This newsletter offers a wide variety of exercise routines and I think it is one of the many avenues we can use to get started or to add variety. I think my job as a physical education teacher is to get my students to enjoy exercise and make them understand the long- term benefits as they enter adulthood. Leading by example seems to be an easy way for my own family to understand the importance of exercise and that is one thing that carries into my day as a teacher as well. I do not believe there is one single exercise plan that is going to work for everybody. I think it is up to you to figure out what you like to do and what is going to keep you interested in exercise for the future. I guess my exercise advice is simple: Get up, make time, sweat, and eat as many nutritious meals as you can.

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