Is Frozen Yogurt Healthy?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you can't help but notice that a new frozen yogurt shop is popping up on almost every corner. Whether its PinkBerry, Yogurt Land, or any other trendy shop you know they have also been multiplying like rabbits across strip malls, shopping centers, office complexes, and even casinos and hotels across the country. If they haven't hit your town yet, don't worry, they likely will.  Frozen yogurt is low in calories, with lots of healthy flora for your intestinal health, this new yogurt trend seems too good to be true—but is it?

Is it healthy?

Yogurt is generally healthy. It contains cultures that are helpful to maintain intestinal health, has calcium, and is low in calories and fat. An 8-ounce serving of frozen yogurt contains on average about 200 calories, 8 grams of protein, no fat, and about 32 percent of your daily value of calcium. The fresh fruit toppings are unsweetened and have very few calories; so generally, frozen yogurt makes for a healthy snack. However, keep in mind that most of these calories come from added sugar, so they are more likely to turn into stored fat in your body if you don't burn them off. While its calcium content is also pretty good, you'll get almost twice as much calcium from regular non-frozen yogurt than you will get from the frozen kind. Non-frozen yogurt also contains more protein.

The real trouble comes when you get to the topping counter. Fresh fruit is a great option, but I'm pretty sure you're scooping a little Oreo here and some gummy worms there, a drizzle of syrup and a sprinkle of chocolate chips, so it's pretty hard to claim that you're eating healthy at that point. Most of us have somehow fooled ourselves into thinking that toppings don't count when, in fact, they add up to more empty calories than the entire dish of yogurt. And when you put your yogurt into a cone instead of a cup, you're adding even more empty calories to your dessert or snack—120 calories for a typical waffle cone.

In short, frozen yogurt isn't terrible for your diet, but it isn't a super healthy food, either. It's a much better option than ice cream and its high levels of saturated fat, but yogurt doesn't necessarily have less sugar. It's better than cookies, cake, or candy, too, but it's not as good as fresh fruit for something that satisfies your sweet tooth and makes you healthy at the same time. It'll be better for your figure and your wallet to simply have a bowl of fruit mixed with your favorite yogurt. Or, if you're after a more typical "dessert" treat, try one of these chilly treats . . .

3 Healthy Frozen Treats

Frozen fruit. Even the worst cook can manage this one. Just pop some fresh grapes, strawberries, bananas, etc., into the freezer for a bit and pop them in your mouth. This is a great idea for kids who pass up fruit offered in a bowl. They will suddenly appreciate this new frozen delight. 

 

 Fancy ice cubes. Try pouring your coconut water into an ice cube tray and inserting toothpicks when the cubes start to get slushy enough to allow the toothpicks to stand up. You've made your own healthy mini-popsicles. For bartenders, this is also a great addition to beverages. Try a glass of seltzer water with some frozen lemon juice cubes on a hot summer day. It'll make you forget about lemonade. 

Make your own sorbet. You can make delicious ice creams and sorbets out of fresh fruit and keep out a lot of the artificial colors and flavors and obscene amounts of sugar that many store brands contain. Blend frozen fruit—berries, peaches, whatever your favorite is—with some plain yogurt. Before you know it, fruit and yogurt will be enough of a treat, and you won't even miss the crushed Oreos!

I hope I've provided you with some tasty treat ideas for this upcoming summer!! For more healthy tips like these follow me on Facebook!

21 Day Fix Final Results & week 8 T25 Update with meal plan!

 

My hubby and I have officially finished the 21 Day Fix! I am down 6.5 pounds and 1.5 inches off of my waist and Ruben is down 9 pounds!!

We absolutely LOVED this program so much that I am starting round 2 this week. I really have nothing bad to say about this program! It was very simple to follow the plan out lined in the program guide to create our meal plans. (You can see week 1, and week 2 here) I was never hungry, in fact there were some days that I wasn't sure I could eat all of my food. The program provided a great variety of food choices and incorporates all food groups. I am NOT a fan of starvation diets or eliminating entire food groups if you hope to have any success, so this plan was PERFECT for me. It is also something that I can incorporate into my every day life and the lives of my family Its about easting whole, healthy foods and keeping the portions in control.

There is an optional 3 Day Quick Fix that comes with the program as well for an added boost at the end. This is a little more strict than the rest of the program but seriously its so much food! I think the hardest part for me was the fact hat I couldn't have my daily Shakeology. I LOVE my chocolate fix and that was one thing that I missed. The plan incorporates 6 meals a day, and a gallon of water. So I made it a point to drink a 20oz bottle of water with each meal and I hit my mark.  anyone can do this!!

This past week we also finished our 8th week of T25. Since we started with this program Ruben is down 24 pounds and I am down 13 pounds!! That's a COMBINED 37 pounds in 8 weeks!!

We are half way through the Beta round and really starting to see great progress. Ruben has upped his weights and we are really continuing to focus on form. I've been doing a lot of thinking about this and if I'm going to commit to short, 25 minute workouts, then I need to give 110% effort. I have ONE opportunity to workout in my daily schedule so I'm not going to do it half way! I'm also really trying to work on my reps. So with push ups if I feel like I can only squeak out one more I push to do three more. Then the next time 5 more. That is how we make progress, day by day, little by little.

I have three 21 Day Fix groups currently running and they are reporting amazing results as well! If you are looking for accountability, support with portion control and are interested in joining us on April 7th I would LOVE to chat to see if this would be a good fit for you!! Please feel free to send me a friend request on Facebook and fill out the application below.

21 Day Fix - 3 Day Quick Fix with Meal Plan

As if the 21 Day Fix program isn't awesome enough on its own, they went and added a 3 Day Quick Fix at the end!! 

This 3 day quick fix is something you would use if maybe you want to drop a few pounds for an upcoming wedding. Maybe you want to make a splash at the beach this weekend. Or maybe you need a reboot to stop a few bad nutritional habits. This is not something you want to do for any longer than three days, but if done occasionally, it's a great way to lose a little weight fast.

You can definitely use this at any time as I mentioned above and also at the end of each round of the 21 Day Fix so you can get a boost on the results for the next round! It can be pretty challenging, so be ready for it. And don't worry! If this is too restrictive for you then skip it! You will still get AMAZING results just by following the program as it is designed!!

So here are the deets...

*Space your meals approximately two hours apart

*Steamed veggie options recommended are broccoli, asparagus, green beans, zucchini, cucumbers, or bell peppers

*Seasonings allowed are lemon and lime juice, vinegars, and spices. NO SALT!!

*Oatmeal can be flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg or ONE packet (1/2 tsp) of Stevia

*Drink at least one gallon of water a day. Spread it out as much as possible, starting with a glass when you first wake up. It will help you feel full while it flushes toxins from your system

*Drink the extra-virgin coconut oil with meals. To prepare it, place the desired amount into a microwave save bowl and zap it for 10 to 15 seconds

*Coffee or tea is okay to drink, but avoid creamers and sweeteners - except stevia. Again, you can use one packet or 1/2 teaspoon

*Again, no need to alter your workouts. The 3 Day Quick Fix can be used anytime. It is also recommended using it during the last three days - and ONLY THREE DAYS for maximum results!

Since I'm doing this with my hubby I cooked up a big batch of steel cut oats, chicken, turkey and veggies and we portioned them out into tupperware containers for each day. For this part of the program especially I feel its super important to get the meal prep done ahead of time. You may be feeling a little hungry, a little busy etc and just want to grab an apple or handful of crackers but this is GAME TIME!! It's SO important to stay on track....it's ONLY three days!

Here is the MEAL PLAN... there is no need to adjust your workouts - or the rest of your life, for that matter. Just follow this simple eating plan for three days by eating these foods, measuring them out using the corresponding containers. You will ONLY use the yellow, green and red containers for the next three days!

FEMALE
Meal 1  - .... Steel Cut Oatmeal (cooked) .... Egg whites (4)        * 1 tsp coconut oil    
Meal 2  - .... Steamed yams                     .... Grilled chicken

Meal 3 -  .... Steamed Veggies                 .... Steamed fish

Meal 4 -  .... Steamed Veggies                 .... Grilled chicken      * 1 tsp coconut oil  
Meal 5 -  .... Steamed Veggies                 .... Steamed fish          *1 tsp coconut oil

Meal 6 -  .... Steamed Veggies                 .... Ground xtra-lean turkey  *1 tsp coconut oil
MALE
Meal 1  - .... Steel Cut Oatmeal (cooked) .... Egg whites (4)        * 1 tsp coconut oil    
Meal 2  - .... Steamed yams                     .... Grilled chicken

Meal 3 -  .... Steamed Veggies                 .... .... Steamed fish

Meal 4 -  .... .... Steamed Veggies           .... Grilled chicken      * 1 tsp coconut oil  
Meal 5 -  .... Steamed Veggies                 .... .... Steamed fish   * 1 tsp coconut oil

Meal 6 -  .... Steamed Veggies                 .... Ground xtra-lean turkey  *1 tsp coconut oil
 

So we're officially off and running. This morning I weighed in at 149.5 and I'll keep you updated on my progress. Check back on Monday to see how we did!!

If you have any questions or would like more info on the 21 Day Fix program please don't hesitate to reach out and shoot me a friend request on Facebook!!

If this looks like something you're ready to jump in on I'd love to have you join us for our next 21 Day Fix Challenge group!! Fill out the application below :)

21 Day Fix Week 2 & T25 Week 7 Review with Meal Plan

I am excited to say that we have just finished week 7 of T25 Beta and week 2 of the 21 Day Fix! Since starting T25 we are down a combined 31 pounds!!!

These moves are still a little tricky but we're working on perfecting them. That one leg burpee gets me every time!! But I am also noticing that we are getting much stronger! I'm noticing we are able to push harder with less breaks and that we are keeping much better form! I love the fact that the Beta phase incorporates weights. I am all about lifting and this is right up my ally. Since my husband and I are working out together and only have one set of weights we are taking turn using the resistance bands and the Bow Flex Select Tech weights. I honestly feel that I get a great workout either way. So if you dont have weights dont let that scare you. You can definitely still achieve great results with the resistance bands.

During the later part of this week Ruben hurt his foot and had to sit a few workouts out. He made them up by the end of the week but it was hard to take that rest time :( We also traveled out of town but we didn't let that throw us off track. I brought my T25 and did my solo workouts and we brought our cooler full of food for the couple days we were gone. We are working VERY hard to follow these programs to a T and we aren't going to let anything get in the way!

Speaking of food...let me move over the to the 21 Day Fix week 2 update! So we were feeling a little more comfortable with the containers this week and wanted to try some new things :) We are each down another 2 pounds!!

Some of my favorites this week were the Chicken Stir Fry and the Turkey Avocado burgers!! Like I said above we were out of town a few days this weekend and had to do some planning ahead. most of my food was already cooked and portioned but because we are being so strict with our plan I found myself reviewing and re-reviewing the plan and cooler to make sure we had everything packed. But I must say that taking a few hours of the day on the weekend is a TOTAL life saver during the week. I LITERALLY grab the tupperware containers and go! 

So to summarize, this week was really a success in my eyes!! We followed the workout schedule, stuck to our meal plan while traveling and attending a baby shower!! Oh yah...forgot to say that I was the cake cutter and didn't EVEN lick my fingers after!! That is some SERIOUS will power! My one regret, and this is a BIG one, especially as a Beachbody coach, is that I did not take my measurements at the start of this program. But I can tell you that we are both dropping pant sizes and notches on our belts!! Stay tuned for week three! See you soon :)

If you are looking for health and fitness support or are interested in joining one of my on line accountability groups I'd love to chat! Please send me a friend request on Facebook or fill out the application below!