H3's Best Blueberry Desserts

Did you know that blueberry pie has it's own holiday - Blueberry Pie Day? Not only that, blueberry pie also has over 350 calories and almost 18 grams of fat per slice. So instead of blueberry pie, enjoy one of our favorite H3 Healthy Kitchen blueberry-inspired desserts. They're less than 200 calories per serving and packed with sweet, rich flavors.

Blueberry Clafouti -  We remixed this yummy, French dessert, traditionally made with cherries. It's less than 160 calories and only 2.5 grams of fat.



Blueberry Cobbler - We created a healthier version of this warm, classic dessert with only 135 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.



With these 2 delicious blueberry treats, you won't have to miss out on any of the flavor or the excess calories from blueberry pie. Enjoy!

 

Hand over the chocolate and Use these 9 Tips from Dr. Pamela Peeke

Hand over the Chocolate and No One gets Hurts was the second of two lectures presented by Dr. Pamela Peeke, our Indigo Spa's April InSPArational Speaker, during her recent stay at Hilton Head Health. Because of how much our Guests enjoyed Dr. Peeke's visit, we wanted to share some of her nuggets of inspiration.

Take on a mindset of gratitude and take time to recreate a new normal for yourself:

1. Be careful when you use the word just, know that it means a justification will follow. Don't fall into the trap. (I won't work out just for tonight. I'll eat un-healthfully just this one time.)

2. Beware of what people say about you, that's their story for you NOT your story for you. When you own your story, you can control your story and not be controlled by what others say about you.

3. There's nothing wrong with a little obsessiveness. Use your obsessiveness to stay accountable to yourself. But don't go overboard. Sometimes, you will need to give yourself some slack.

4. Every lifestyle choice you make matters. Always be crystal-clear with yourself as to why you're doing what you're doing.  Your 'why' should be powerful and personal to you.

Use Dr. Pam's version of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sublimely Simply) when dealing with how much you eat and what you eat:

5. Think about what works for you. You need to know what does work for you, in order to know what doesn't. A trick to help you figure out what works is to ask yourself two questions before you eat. Honestly answering these questions will help you identify your binge-ables and encourage clear-minded, conscious decisions towards your food choices.

• Will I feel a loss of control when I eat this?


• Will I feel shame, blame or guilt after I eat this?

6. The older you are the less food you need to eat. If you're older, eat strategically with low fat and high fiber. Now, it does mean you need to plan this but it will make things so much easier. (Easy meal planning tips right here.)

7. Eat more mindfully. Go slower and take time to savor your food. Enjoy every bite.

Remember these basic building blocks to harness your own success:

8. To be a success, you must have a good sense of humor. Period.

9. Release any feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and defeat. Instead remind yourself of these iconic words: "Believe. Acheive. Succeed." - Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo Jo), Olympic track and field champion.

What is your biggest barrier to acheiving your new happier, healthier lifestyle?

8 Healthy Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is May 10!  It’s the perfect day to honor all the women in your life - whether it’s your mom, grandmother, wife, aunt, sister, or a friend. What better way to show your appreciation and gratitude than one of these creative, healthy gifts? Many have conservative price points, so you don’t have to break the bank to find a great health-conscious gift. You might even want to treat yourself to one!

1. Babycakes:  Erin McKenna is the chef and owner of Babycakes, NYC. She specializes in vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and food sensitivity treats .  Her bakery items are magical and her cookbooks are beautifully designed to help you make substitutions and health-conscious improvements that take traditional recipes to a healthy level.  (List Price: $24.00)


2. Fabletics Active Wear:  Fabletics is a line of active wear and accessories co-founded by actress Kate Hudson.  You can find high quality choices for Yoga, running, gym and cycling clothing. (Complete outfits starting as low as $24.99.)


3. Personalize a Home-Cooked Meal:  Nothing says love like spending time together!  Select some of our H3 Healthy Kitchen healthy recipes to prepare a nutritious, home cooked meal for mom and the entire family.  Make sure you get a shopping list together and have all the right ingredients so all mom has to do is sit, relax and enjoy!


4. Ninja Kitchen Systems Pulse Blender:  This small kitchen appliance goes beyond smoothies and protein drinks.  With 550-watts of power you can crush ice, puree fruits and vegetables and knead bread dough.  Single serve blending cups, processing bowl and attachments are included. (List Price: $79.99)


5. Under Armour “Gotta Have It” Tote:  The perfect bag to meet all your gym needs.  Interior and exterior pockets, large main compartment, padded laptop divider and removable laundry bag are just a few it’s many features.  Available in a variety of awesome colors!  (List price: $69.99)


6.  Mio Workout Wonder Muscle Gel:  This invigorating muscle cream is great for pre or post workout and really helps to speed up the recovery of your muscles.  It contains arnica, magnesium, horse chestnut, murumuru butter and fresh spearmint.  (List price: $33.00)


7. Vosges Haut Super Dark Chocolate Bars:  Dark chocolate is a super food in its own right with a whole list of health benefits.  For those moments that call for a sweet, but healthy, indulgence check out this gourmet line of products that combine other super foods with dark chocolate.  Coconut Ash and Banana, Acai and Golden Berry, Guajillo and Chipotle, Matcha Green Tea and Spirulina, Reishi Mushroom and Walnut are a few of your options.  (List price: $7.50)


8. For an extra special treat, pamper her with a relaxing and transformative trip to The Indigo Spa at Hilton Head Health with our Special Spa Day Package.  She can rejuvenate with a 50-minute Coneflower Facial and a 50-minute Custom Massage.

Give her the gift of wellness this Mother's Day!

 

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Diet

For those who read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, came a better understanding that the absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and the inattention to results are five separate issues that potentially lead to dangerous pitfalls inside a company. Working on these particular dysfunctions can create a successful group of people cohesively working together towards a vision. For example, if trust isn't present within a group then individuals will only look out for themselves versus what's best for the team.  (If you haven’t read the book then I would highly recommend it.)  Anyways, I’m going to take this same concept but apply it to the diet world of today.  I’m sure there could be more than five essential pieces to the diet puzzle; but without these five components, expect a part of your diet to be slightly dysfunctional:

 

[caption id="attachment_13440" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net[/caption]

 

1. ABSENCE OF PLANTS.  I’m not saying for everyone to turn towards a vegan lifestyle, but without enough vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds then one will likely miss out on essential micronutrients, antioxidants, hydration and fiber.  According to a 2009 Position Paper by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, those that are more vegetarian tend to have a lower BMI, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, lower rates of cancer, and better prevention of Type II Diabetes.  Of course, one still needs to consume enough protein and essential fatty acids; but if plants aren't a focal point, accept feeling sluggish, gastrointestinal irregularity, poor fitness recovery and higher susceptibility for catching an illness.


2. LACK OF VARIETY.  Want to eat the same thing every day because it works?  More and more research supports that consuming large amounts of added sugar, on a consistent basis, can be addictive.  Our dopamine - a feel good hormone - tends to level off and one will need more sugar in order to get the same “feel good” response.  Studies show this same response happens if we eat the same foods day after day.  This explains the boredom we get from grilled chicken or steamed broccoli.  Time to jazz things up!  Incorporate different textures, spices, herbs and new foods into your weekly meal plan.  In order to keep the cooking motivation at a high, try to get as much variety into  your day without feeling overwhelmed.


3. MISPERCEPTION OF PORTIONS.  I could have used the word quantity, instead I chose portion control because there are some foods (e.g., spinach) that we can use in large amounts while others can give us what we need in smaller portions (e.g., eggs).  To put this into perspective, one doesn’t need to drown their sauté pan with olive oil, but I'd highly recommend throwing in as many bell peppers as you wish.  It makes sense to load up on salad greens, but use cheese as a flavor enhancer—not the star of the show.  Of course some things must be individualized so consider that when thinking of what works for you and your personal needs (e.g., someone receiving chemotherapy treatment will need more protein compared to someone that isn’t experiencing as much stress on their system).


4. AVOIDANCE OF WATER, COFFEE AND TEA.  Keep it simple.  Lots of water.  Unsweetened coffee—I would avoid going over three cups of coffee per day.  Unsweetened tea.


5. INATTENTION TO QUALITY.  Quality foods make a difference.  I’m sure some of you can tell the difference when produce is purchased from a local farmer’s market.  It smells better, tastes better and is better for you.  A few ways to keep quality as high as possible:  choose more local (within 100 miles), aim for seasonal foods and do your research—just because something is labeled “Organic” doesn’t mean it is a wise decision.

When these dysfunctions are changed or modified in a positive direction, one will notice their healthy goals become healthy realities.  It is all about behavior change.  Perhaps the fitness becomes easier and the motivation to move is greater.  Perhaps the scale moves in a downward direction because portion control was improved.  Whatever changes need to happen, take a helicopter view of your eating habits; ask yourself if there is a dysfunction within your diet.  If I had to pick one dysfunction to start changing, I would choose “Misperception of Portions.”   Most of us could choose at a food that needs a little adjustment.  Start there and have fun with the process!

Want to learn more about nutrition at Hilton Head Health? Our Nutrition and Dietary experts can answer your food and nutriton questions. Just send your questions to getinspired@hhhealth.com.

Buddy Fitness: Pump Up Workout

It's time to get pumped up with your buddy! Today, you'll be alternating between body weight and free weight exercises. You'll need one or 2 sets of dumbbells, depending on the appropriate weight for you and your partner. Make sure you and your workout buddy have plenty of water and have fun.



Peform each exercise 3 times, alternating between each type of exercise with a partner.

Dumbbell Exercises:

1. Squat Press

2. Reverse Fly

3. Peck Deck Body

Weight Exercises:

1. Jumping Jacks

2. Mountain Climbers

3. Burpees

Enjoy today's partner workout and look out for our Hilton Head Health Beach Body Blast Workout Series in 2 weeks.

H3 Guest Review: Great Experience!

We all want to live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle we can, but we don't always know the best way to create those positive changes. LOSE Well guest, Cindy W. wanted to make that move towards a healthier self and decided to visit Hilton Head Health to create her own path. Despite her initial nervousness about coming to H3 alone, Cindy quickly overcome those fears with the support of our staff. Read all about Cindy's full experience at H3 on our official TripAdvisor page.

 



 

If you're a previous Guest, we'd love for you to share your life-changing experience on TripAdvisor. Still haven't made it to H3, yet? Take a look at past Guests experiences to learn more about us.

Buddy Fitness: Resistance Band Training

Working out with a partner can have many great benefits. Your partner can be a source of increased accountability and motivation. There's even research supporting a heightened weight loss success rate with couples that work out together. Grab a resistance band and enjoy this full body workout with a partner.



Here's a recap of the 3 exercises from the video:

1. Squat Row - 20 reps

2. Lunge Press - 20 reps

3. Trunk Rotation - 20 reps, 10 on each side

Be sure to check out our next partner workout in our Hilton Head Health Buddy Fitness workout next week!

H3 Sunrise Smoothie by Carrie Adams

Since April is Stress Awareness Month, the H3 Healthy Kitchen decided to share this delicious Sunrise Smoothie recipe.  As you may know, stress can greatly compromise your immune system. The goji berries and the oranges in this smoothie are packed with Vitamin C to help give your immune system an extra boost.



Ingredients:

2 each Bananas, peeled and frozen

1 each Orange, juiced

1 cup Almond milk, unsweetened

3 Tablespoons Gogi berries

½ teaspoon Ginger, fresh, chopped

Method:

• Peel bananas, wrap in foil or in a plastic bag, and then freeze.


• Place frozen bananas, orange juice, almond milk, gogi berries and ginger into a blender.


• Blend this mixture on 'ice crush' until the bananas are broken up, about 30 seconds.


• Finish on 'liquefy' until desired consistency is reached.


• Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition:

Serves: 5

Calories: 80

Fat: 1 gram

A Mindful Experience at H3

Recently, Donna Adinolfi of Mindful Adventures had the opportunity to experience Hilton Head Health in our LOSE Well program. Donna came not sure of what to expect and even feeling very vulnerable. But after spending 4 weeks here in the program she not only lost a few pounds but she conquered the emotional and physical obstacles standing in her way. Listen to what she has to say about her journey:

 



What obstacles are preventing you from being your healthiest self?