Smart Snacking

As with anything, the key to smart snaking is moderation. When we eat meals at regular times and have healthy snacks in between those meals, we are less likely to overeat and gain weight than people who skip meals. It's normal to feel hungrier at specific times- like between a long shift at work or after your sports practice. The important thing to know is how much food your body needs to satisfy that hunger. Read serving size information on food labels. You could be consuming two servings worth of a snack if you're just going by eyesight (a.k.a. more eyes than stomach). This means double the calories, fat, and sugar. To avoid this, try to keep right-sized portioned healthy snacks in plastic sandwich bags on hand in your purse or backpack. Some ideas include: carrot sticks, berries, pretzels, and walnuts or any other favorite unsalted nuts. Below are a few more delicious healthy snacks to try.
Ants on a log: Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and sprinkle with raisins.
Homemade trail mix: Mix 1 cup whole-grain cereal with 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup dried cranberries.
Banana ice pops: Peel several very ripe bananas, put popsicle sticks through them and place them in the freezer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen, enjoy as is or drizzle with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Hopefully some of these tips will become a part of your eating routine. And please give these yummy treats a try- you won't regret it!

With love, the Guilt Free Girls    

Being Healthy at Restaurants

We all love hanging out with friends, but we all hate being the only one at a party just eating the salad. When we have been so good for days and suddenly we throw a burger at our face, we may begin feeling discourage and even guilty. You don't want to order a 2,000 calorie meal, but you also don't want to stay home just to save calories. One quick trick that can save you hundreds of calories and also save you big chunks of money is ordering water at restaurants. A single soda can pack up to 300 calories plus dozens of grams of sugar, and I am not even talking about the big beverage cups at fast food restaurants! Getting into the habit of just drinking water can help a lot if you are trying to stay healthy, besides its free! and you can have as many as you like. Another helpful tip is going to restaurants that offers a healthy menu. Olive Garden has a delicious plate of Tilapia that is only 450 calories that comes with steamed veggies and a delicious lemony sauce. If what you want is fast food, one of my favorites is Daphne, a greek restaurant that has the most amazing protein packed burger that is not deep fried and is freshly made. Besides, options like veggies with feta cheese or humus sauce can be a great substitute for those calorie-pack fries. Another favorite is sushi, it is delicious and very affordable, just don't bathe your roll on soy sauce because the sodium can keep you bloated and dehydrated. You can have delicious edamame as an appetizers or even the stuffed jalapenos in moderation. And of course, once in a while enjoy your burger, even with the animal-style fries! It is good for your cravings and your sanity.  
This is the website for Daphnes :)
http://www.daphnesgreekcafe.com/
Hope you guys found this helpful and see you next week <3,
the guilt-free girlz

Gluten Free is the Way to Be

I wanted to share this clip with all of you to show you the great alternatives to wheat, dairy and sugar.  Gluten has been linked to many food allergies, obesity, depression and more.  I recently went to a blood analyst to see why I was not loosing any weight with proper food and exercise.  I found out that my blood type was type O and that there was a whole list of foods I could and shouldn't be eating.  Among those items that I shouldn't be eating was gluten.  Gluten is the number one cause of obesity in type O blood.  I have been learning to change my eating habits to accommodate this new gluten free life style which has actually been easier than I thought.  So if you are feeling sluggish, having a hard time loosing weight or are constantly having upset stomachs and headaches, try cutting out gluten and see how you feel.  Obviously if your symptoms become a problem you should seek medical attention.  My new gluten free lifestyle is finally paying off, I am loosing weight and haven't had an upset tummy in months. 
I am a big pasta eater and would love to give you a great substitute for my favorite dish:
Baked Ziti
1 egg
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 bag of brown rice penne or fussili noodles cooked (gluten free)
1 bag of low-fat mozzarella
1 jar of marinara of your choice
1 lb of ground turkey meat cooked

mix first 3 ingredients in a bowl. In a baking dish layer sauce, meat, noodles, cheese mix, and mozzarella until you have it as high as you want to go. bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cheese is browned.  You will love this quick fix any night of the week and of course we always keep it guilt free and now even gluten free!

Love,
The Guilt free girls

Home Cooked Greatness

So the goal of this blog is to share with you all great ways to stay healthy. Staying healthy involves eating right and exercising and going to the doctor...Being concious of your decisions really. In order for me to stay healthy I like to do thing that dont make the process feel so rigid, like modifying good old fashioned recipes. I LOVE Mac n' Cheese, so I found this great recipe that allows me to eat it guilt free. Here is the link:
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=192212
Now remember everyone there is no quick fix to losing weight, you are looking for long lasting results so make life style changes not short term changes. Find things you love and stick to them.

Have a great week!
Love
 The Guilt Free Girls

Drink Water... Lose Weight

The human body is mostly water believe it or not. However many people usually don't drink a lot of water. Choosing soda, juices, fancy coffee drinks and other beverages instead. There are other ways to stay hydrated but water surpasses any other options. It's by far the best fluid for your body, and has no substitute. Drinking water is one of the most important elements of any weight loss program. You can live for a long time without food, but not without water. Drinking water helps our bodies to eliminate water. In the same way that your body holds on to fat when you fast or starve yourself, the body will actually hold onto water if you aren't drinking enough of it. And guess what that means... WEIGHT GAIN! Water is the way our body gets rid of the waste created by the process of metabolizing fat. Drinking more by default means using the restroom more. This allows us to flush away all those nasty by-products. So, drinking more water helps keep our metabolism running at optimum levels. Try to drink at least one hundred ounces of water per day. An easy way to make sure you're drinking enough water is to buy the fifty-ounce bottled containers. And then refill it yourself when it runs out and drink two of those a day. Drink in the car, at school, at work, at the gym or wherever you happen to be. Drinking enough water is just as important as eating healthy, but is sadly overlooked. Hopefully after reading this you'll think H2O. So remember... drink more water!

If you need some variety, supplement your water intake with some of these drink ideas:
-Iced tea (with lemon and no or little sugar)
-Black coffee or hot tea (with no or little sugar also)
-Low or no sodium sparkling water (but no club soda, it's packed with sodium!)

Best of luck from the Guilt Free Girls :)

The Snack of the Gods

Oh Greece,  full of beautiful beaches, secluded towns, ancient ruins and......oh wait, the perfect snack. Losing weight it's not easy, especially in a time when Photoshop has increased our adoration for being thin. The trick to keep in shape, however, its not eating less, but eating smart. We all know that eating healthier along with exercise can help us shed pounds, but what exactly should we eat? The key on eating smart is on eating foods that are healthy but will keep us satisfied. Our best friend would be, yep, Greek yogurt. And what's so special about Greek yogurt? Well to start off it contains all the helpful "friendly" bacteria needed to maintain a healthy digestive system, plus it contains (depending on the brand) anywhere from 12-24 grams of protein. Protein is a key factor at keeping the midday hunger at bay. Protein keeps us full longer, which means we would eat less throughout the day without feeling hungry, plus it helps regenerate stronger muscles post-workout. Fage Greek yogurt, (my personal favorite) contains only 130 calories, 0 grams of fat and 18 grams of protein. 18 grams of protein!!! a can of tuna contains about 24 grams, and who are we kidding, no one can possibly enjoy eating a can of tuna a day. With yogurt, however, the possibilities are endless; you can enjoy it honey, in a parfait, in a smoothie, and can even make extra smooth soups with it. Yes, I said soups. Also, Greek yogurt works wonders for hair and skin. You can apply it as a repair mask by combining it with olive oil and leaving it on for about 15 minutes. Or you can buy Korres Yogurt Face Lotion to have a glowy complexion. Whatever you use it for you won't regret it. And last, a quick breakfast recipe for a fast morning:

Fage Total 0% Greek yogurt - http://www.fageusa.com

1 tbs pure honey

1/2 tbs lemon zest

1 cup fresh blueberries

*_* pure bliss.

P.S: To know the grams of protein your body needs, go to http://www.howmuchprotein.com/daily-protein-intake.php

With love,
the Guilt Free Girls 

Guilt Free Girls are here!

Welcome to the Guilt Free Girls blog.  There are four of us that will be keeping you up to date weekly with health concience decisions about your eating habits.  We are all students at Cal State Fullerton and are enrolled in a computer information course together.  This blog is our group project.  My name is Joanna and my group members consist of Amanda, Priscilla and Carla.  We will all be giving you weekly updates on healthy options for cooking whether it be an alternative recipe for our favorite foods, cooking tips or resturants that thrive on using healthy ingredients.  Our goal is give you the tools you need to remain healthy and guilt free with the additive benefit of great taste.  We hope you enjoy our ideas and look forward to bringing you a guilt free lifestyle.
I have recently started a new weight loss program using Visalus.  This product is a soy protein based powder that you incorporate in your meals or shakes in order to give you all the nutrients you need with the incentive to shed some pounds.  I have just begun and am proud to say I am down 5lbs in three days.  Not only am I dropping weight but the shakes taste great and I have more energy than I have had in years.  To learn more or sign up please visit www.joannatuso.bodybyvi.com.  My favorite shake mix is:
Chocolate Banana
2 scoops of soy based glutton free visalus powder mix
1 banana
6-8 large cubes of ice depending on what consistency you prefer
2-3 scoops of cocoa powder
cover ice with original almond milk
blend to your prefered consistency

This is also a great shake without visalus and you can incorporate whey protein powder to give your body an extra jump start.  Enjoy this shake in the morning for a great on the go breakfast or for an afternoon lunch or snack.  Which ever you choose you will feel great and enjoy the taste while remaining guilt free.