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Hey Friends! As a person who is always trying to eat healthy, I must admit I have quite the sweet tooth. I am defiantly the person who will eat healthy all day long, then come home and eat 6 double stuffed Oreos to end the night. I know it is so horrible for you to eat sugar like that in general especially late at night. I have found however, if I incorporate small amounts of sweets throughout the day then I am less likely to eat loads of sugar when I come home and before I go to bed for the night. So I started to do a little research on ways I could incorporate healthy sugars in my diet throughout the day. I did find some great healthy alternatives that I thought I would share! I came across this recipe the other day during my research and thought to myself, no way those can be that good so I decided to give it a try. What are they? Banana pancakes, yes, pancakes that are actually healthy! There are only 2 ingredients 1 banana and 2 eggs. Put the banana and the 2 eggs in a bowl mash those up together put it in a pan and it makes 2 good size pancakes. I use Aunt Jemimah butter lite syrup which has less sugar then typical maple syrup and they taste pretty amazing! I have got in the habit of making several servings at a time and I even made one for a desert and put a tablespoon of chocolate coconut peanut butter on top, delish! Another great alternative to use for those sugar cravings is raw organic Cacao Powder. You can find a large bag at whole foods and it will last you months. Cacao Powder gives you that chocolate taste without all of the sugar and fat that comes along with sugar. I typically will put a teaspoon in my morning oatmeal with a banana. I have used it in my smoothies and made strawberry “chocolate ‘smoothies. I have also shaken it up in a glass of almond milk and made a Cacao almond milk that taste like chocolate milk! Raspberries are another amazing way to satisfy that sugar craving after a meal. If I am on the go I will pack a handful of Raspberries in an airtight container and take them with me. Raspberries have natural sugars and do not have a very bitter taste that usually comes along with eating fruit. They take away the cravings and satisfy that sweet tooth. If you have a big sweet tooth like me then try out some of these easy tips! The key is to manage your portions of sugar because sugar can be the start to several diseases, weight gain, and crashes throughout the day. Thanks for your attention all!

Dear Friends, Since I can remember I have been an active person and love a good workout. As a lover of fitness I am always looking for a fun new workout to mix up my typical routine. The last thing you want while working out and trying to gain results is your muscles to get used to the workouts and become non effective.  Last week I came across a new fitness class called sproing. So far there are only 4 locations in the United Sates that offer this class but is quickly growing and is a truly life changing workout. This class challenges you like I have never been challenged. Sproing is a HIIT workout which means High Intensity Interval Training, It is a cardio based workout with reps of weight training in between. You begin the class by strapping into your harness, yes, a harness! The machine looks like a glorified treadmill with a soft cushioned surface. The purpose of the surface is to be easier on your knees and legs while sprinting. The purpose of the harness is to promote running with a forward lean forcing correct foot motion on your cushioned forefoot instead of your heel. This is the true and correct runner’s stance. There is also no moving belt which allows you to speed up and slow down at your natural pace with no forced movement. The first time I tried this workout it was VERY awkward. Sprinting for the first time in the harness was very weird especially when we were sprinting sideways. It took me a few minutes until I became comfortable with the way the machine works, but after that I let myself go and fully commit. You train in intervals of 20 seconds and rest for 20 seconds for 45 minutes straight. The cardio portion of this class involves sprints as fast as you could possibly go for 20 seconds sometimes maxing out at 60 seconds. You run in combinations of forward, backward, and even sideways working all parts of your body.  Once the sprint is done you transition to a type of resistance training which could include working on biceps, your back, triceps, abs, pushups, squats, lunges, or even just a plank. The machine has resistance bands attached to it so it allows for a smooth quick transition. There is also an 8 pounds medicine ball on your machine that is used during squats. Before class you hook yourself up to a monitor that tracks your heartrate zone and tells you how many calories you burned during class. I burned around 400 calories in 45 minutes but the guy next to me burned 700!! This class challenges me to really push and give it all I got. Let me tell you, I swear by this workout and I KNOW it will be the next big thing! So far I have convinced three of my girlfriends to go with me and couldn’t believe what an awesome, different workout this was.  I plan to try this for at least 3 consistent months so we will see how it goes!