Hearty Veggie Pasta Sauce

This is a recipe that is never exact. It is one of those things that I just start adding things until it tastes good. The key to this sauce is lots of veggies. Veggies have a lot of vitamins and nutrients in them. They also contain a lot of fiber which makes you feel fuller, takes more calories than other nutrients to digest, and helps to keep your digestive tract healthy!

I start by chopping up whatever veggies I want to use. I like to use a combination of carrots, celery, onion, and zucchini. I saute the veggies in a drop of olive oil and some minced garlic. Once the veggies are tender, I add them to 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, and 1 can tomato paste. The next part is where you get to be creative. Just start adding ingredients to season until you like the taste! I usually add some oregano, basil, seasonal or Tony's, black pepper, paprika, and chili powder.

Simmer the sauce and serve over pasta (I usually use whole wheat pasta). Be generous with the sauce. This is how you can load up on veggies!

Tone Your Shoulders, Arms, and Back

I have found that a really great way to tone your shoulders, arms, and back is kickboxing. Not only is it effective, but it is fun too! For best results, make sure you have proper form. Your elbows should be tucked to your side with your fist up in front of your face when that arm is not doing a punch.

Want to spice it up?? Hold 3-5lb hand-weights as you do your kickboxing workout. This will burn more calories and tone the muscles more quickly.

The Biggest Loser

If you are looking for a good at-home workout, I highly recommend "The Biggest Loser" workout DVDs. All of them are good, but if you just want one, my favorite is Vol. 1. They feature workouts done by real people. These are not the over-rehearsed workouts you see on most DVDs. These are filmed live, and even have mistakes, which makes it more like an actual training session. Bob, the trainer, is really good. He really knows his stuff and makes the workouts enjoyable (not to mention, he's cute too!).

The Good and Bad of Yoga

I have never really been into yoga. It just seemed boring and strange. This past summer I was a leader for my ward at girls' camp. The stake knew that I had an Exercise Science degree, assumed I must know all about yoga, and asked me to teach it at girls' camp. I laughed to myself as I accepted the assignment, and I spent the next 3 months teaching myself yoga. I read articles online about yoga, I checked out books from the library, I even rented a few yoga videos. I discovered that on Saturdays at the same time that I go to the gym, there is a yoga class. As I did my resistance training, I could see right into the classroom. I picked up a few moves by watching the yoga class.

Needless to say, after learning and then teaching yoga, my opinions about it have changed. While it still can sometimes be boring, and many of the moves really are strange, I also learned how beneficial it can be. Yoga greatly improves balance and core strength. It also improves flexibility and the body's circulation, both of which make the body healthier overall. However, I would caution everyone to be careful when doing yoga. Some of the moves can cause more harm than good. These are moves that place strain on the neck or knees. You don't want to stretch your ligaments in your knees by placing too much strain on them, or you will be prone to further injury. Strain on the neck is much more serious, as too much strain can potentially cause a stroke. This is the reason I would never do the famous "plow" position (on your back, kicking your legs up and over your head so your toes touch the ground behind your head).

Stacia's Apple Raisin Spice Muffins

1 C Applesauce
1 C Sugar
2 Eggs
3 Tbsp Milk
1 C Raisins
2 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cloves

Combine applesauce, sugar, milk, egg, and raisins. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Fold into applesauce mixture until blended. Spoon into greased or lined muffin tin.

Topping:
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Mix and sprinkle on top of muffins.

Bake at 400 for 15 min. Makes 12 Muffins

Nutrition Breakdown:
Sarving size- 1 muffin
Calories- 201
Fat- less than 1g

New Blog

This is my very first time blogging. Many of my friends have blogs and I thought I would give it a shot. I am very into nutrition and fitness, so I thought I would share some things to help others become more healthy