Showing posts with label healthy

Salads,sides and snacks go healthy with Natural Rice Vinegar

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, March 13, 2015

When a representative for NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar emailed me to see if I would like to receive a complimentary set of rice vinegar’s to review and host a giveaway, I immediately thought of my Grandmother in-law. This lovely woman utilized the healthy, healing powers of natural vinegar her whole life and passed her knowledge on to me when I married her grandson. With fond memories of her, I happily agreed to give NAKANO’s rice vinegar's a try. All opinions are my own. 

all natural, seasoned, no fat, rice vinegar's, cooking, recipe, healthy


NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar invites us to Splash On! And be Daring, Bold and Delicious with their six varieties of all natural, no fat, low calorie, splash on rice vinegar's.

  • Original
  • Seasoned Original
  • Citrus
  • Roasted Garlic
  • Basil & Oregano
  • Mango


My husband and I were excited to see if these rice vinegar's tasted as good as they looked, so we held an informal taste test in our kitchen. With spoons in hand we sampled them right from the bottle. 
Our Thoughts:

All six flavors are pleasant tasting, not harsh or acid. As you can probably tell by their color, they are very light in flavor. Yes, they are still vinegar's, so you have to be a fan of that flavor profile; but these seasoned rice vinegar's were quite tasty straight from the bottle. Our favorites were the Citrus, Mango and Basil and Oregano.

I especially enjoyed the Basil and Oregano.  It has just the right amount of herb flavors, with a hint of brown sugar sweetness that I found to be a perfect replacement of my regular low-calorie salad dressing.

spinach, olives, Parmesan cheese, Basil, Oregano, rice vinegar

I whipped up this quick spinach, olive and Parmesan cheese salad for lunch and it was delicious when paired with the Basil & Oregano rice vinegar and just a splash of olive oil!

Some other tasty ways to use these rice vinegar's are:

  • Splashing on grilled chicken
  • Replacing Mayo in potato salad
  • Dip for Onion rings
  • Adding a splash to snacks like trail mix

Yes, trail mix!


NAKANO has partnered with registered dietitian  Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of “The Flexitarian Diet”, to help us maintain our healthy lifestyle goals with simple swaps, like replacing unhealthy afternoon snacks with healthier alternatives. This is her Super food trail mix recipe.


trail mix, recipe, super food, easy, healthy,



Superfood Trail Mix:
Source:  Recipe created exclusively for Mizkan by: Dawn Jackson Blatner at dawnjacksonblatner.com.

Ingredients:
Makes 2 cups

1 tablespoon NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raisins


 Directions:

In a small bowl, mix NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar, honey, salt and cayenne. In a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat, warm oil and add the vinegar mix, almonds and chia seeds. 

 Cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until all excess liquid is gone. Pour onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let cool in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. Toss almonds with brown rice cereal, pumpkin seeds, and raisins.

 Nutrition:  (1/4 cup): 110 calories, 6g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g sugar, 3g protein



I invite you to learn more about NAKANO by visiting their website, where you’ll find coupons, cooking videos, recipes and a store locator.  


Win it!


One lucky reader will win this set of  six NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar's!


rice vinegar, seasoned, healthy, good

Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below. No purchase necessary to win. Open to U.S. residents 18+ years. My WAHM Plan not responsible for prize fulfillment. This contest is not associated with or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or any other social channel. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!


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Get your gut back on track with accuflora Probiotic supplements

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, December 29, 2014

We've made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations and are heading straight for New Year’s Eve parties this week. And while making merry with beloved friends and family is a very good thing socially,  all the delicious, and in most cases, rich and fatty foods we’re consuming this time of year can leave our digestive track begging for mercy.  That’s why I was happy to accept Smiley 360’s invitation to try accuflora Probiotic supplements free of charge to share my thoughts with you. All opinions are my own.



accuflora #Probiotic supplements



As my family and I start our new Family Fit lifestyle journey, I’ll be sharing posts here on the blog to help my readers who may be interested in getting to a healthy place in 2015 as well. I can’t think of a better way to kick off this new series than with our stomachs and digestive systems because we rely on both so much in our everyday life. 


If you’ve been stressed, eating at odd hours, eating richer foods than you normally do then taking a probiotic supplement like accuflora can help support your digestive health and help regulate your bodies internal balance and get your gut back on track quickly; in as little as 14 days in fact.



About accuflora Probiotic Supplements:


accuflora probiotic supplements


Accuflora Probiotic supplements contain 5 beneficial probiotic strains including Lactobacillus acidophilus, the live culture found in yogurt. Accuflora may help replenish your body’s good bacteria and maintain a healthy digestive system. *

If you aren’t a fan of yogurt, accuflora may provide the digestive health support you have been missing out on. Accuflora provides up to 12 hours of probiotic support through a controlled delivery system. The accuflora caplets form a gel layer that allows the probiotic to survive harsh stomach acids releasing the probiotic throughout your gastrointestinal tract.*



Why may accuflora Probiotics be helpful for you?

Rich meals, dairy products, preservatives, stress and age can all affect your body’s digestion. I was so surprised to read age played a role in this, but I shouldn’t have been. My dear mother in law has been experiencing digestive health issues recently and one of the first things her doctor did was suggest she take a probiotic supplement and cut back on hard to digest dairy products.

As a result of one or all of these triggers, you may experience stomach upset, bloating and changes with regularity just as my mother in law did. Accuflora may help you get your digestive health back on track too.

Having a health digestive system not only makes you feel your best, it could very well keep you healthier as well because when your gut is in balance, your immune system is working at its best;  which may help you ward of colds and other bugs. 



Ready to try accuflora Probiotics?



accuflora coupon


Head over to their website here to learn more about them and about the 14 day challenge. While you’re there, why not download a money saving coupon too. You can also visit them on Facebook to hear how accuflora is helping others who have taken the 14 day challenge.



*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.*



Please share in comments: Have you ever taken a probiotic supplement before?

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Dr Pepper Snapple expands Let’s Play to encourage active lifestyles #DPSBalance #sponsored

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, December 18, 2014

I recently had the privilege of being part of a virtual conversation hosted by Dr Pepper Snapple group in partnership with The Motherhood. As part of this blogging group, we learned a great deal about Dr Pepper Snapple and their continued commitment and support of local and/or national programs that encourage active lifestyles. Special thanks to both The Motherhood and Dr Pepper Snapple for sponsoring today’s post. While I will receive compensation for my time, I only share content I feel is of value to you. All opinions are my own. 




DPS beverages



When you read or hear the names Dr Pepper Snapple, you probably think of drinking one of their delicious beverages and with good reason.  I know I love an ice cold glass of Dr Pepper from time to time and I’d be lost if I suddenly couldn’t find a chilled bottle of Snapple Peach ice tea.  With so many drink options available, you probably have a Dr Pepper Snapple product in your home right now. 





DPS Let's Play logo




 About Dr Pepper Snapple Group:
  • The leader in flavored carbonated soft drinks
  •  Sells more than 50 brands of carbonated soft drinks, teas, juices, mixers and other premium beverages
  • Out of our 14 biggest brands, 13 are #1 or #2 in their respective category·6 of top 10 non-cola soft drinks brands in the business
  • 19,000 employees
  • Fortune 500, publicly traded (NYSE:DPS) operations in North America, Caribbean 
  • The DPS R&D is spread across 4 Locations: Plano, Texas (headquarters), St. Louis, Missouri , Irving, Texas (pilot plant) and Mexico City, Mexico


Those are very impressive stats from a business perspective, but I learned so much more about the very heart of the Dr Pepper Snapple group during our hour long conversation.  While we did touch on flavors and fun facts about what goes into making a great tasting beverage, the true focus of our conversation was to share their commitment to healthy lifestyle choices. 


They (DPS) want us, the consumers, parents, teachers, community volunteers and most importantly our kids to know about their take action plan, starting with the 2015 Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) Calories in; Calories out program and industry led changes, commitments and initiatives. 



There’s a lot of information to share, so I will break it down into sections that hopefully will help you come away with a better understanding of this amazing company and brand.




DPS commitment:

"We believe that healthy lives depend on balance, balancing the calories you consume through food & beverages with the calories you burn through physical activity and by supporting local and national programs that encourage active lifestyles and fitness."


DPS Calories In information:  


 “Our initiatives as a company to promote balance reflect a larger commitment by the beverage industry to deliver meaningful solutions to obesity.”




Industry-led Initiatives: 

  • As an industry, we took full-calorie beverages out of schools voluntarily through the School Beverage Guidelines, which have reduced the calories in beverage shipments to schools by more than 90%. 
  • DPS and other leading beverage companies launched the Clear on Calories Initiative: put calorie counts on the fronts of all beverage containers. 
  • Balance Calories Initiative with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Beverage Association goal: reduce the calories consumed in beverages by 20% over the next 10 years by focusing on smaller package sizes, innovation, marketing and distribution of low-and no-calorie beverages. 
  • Mixify: a multi-year national consumer awareness and engagement program by the beverage industry to talk to teens about the importance of balancing what they drink and eat with what they do.




Consumers have been talking, and clearly Dr Pepper Snapple has been listening. I for one am happy to know that the industry is doing all they can to offer healthier beverage options in our schools! 

DPS understands what’s important to us, the consumer and has worked hard towards answering our needs by understanding consumers are diversified! 

For example- men prefer not to purchase low calorie or “diet” beverages, so DPS responded to consumers who want products with only natural sweeteners.  They’ve been testing naturally sweetened versions of Dr Pepper, 7UP and Canada Dry, sweetened with a blend of stevia and sugar, with only 60 calories per 12 oz. serving.

They didn’t forget to improve their juice and tea either. Earlier this year they introduced a line of Mott’s with  bold new flavors that offer 40% less sugar than fruit juices with 100% Daily Value of Vitamin C in three kid-preferred flavors.

And for us Snapple drinkers, they’ve rolled out diet half & half (half lemonade, half iced tea) and this year have been testing a straight up tea, otherwise unflavored, with a touch of sugar and 80 calories per bottle.

All I can say is- Thank you DPS! 


DPS knows we expect great tasting beverages at an affordable price that our packaged for convenience for active, busy lifestyles, especially Moms! They know we don’t want to say no to the beverages our kids ask for, so they are helping with the Calories Out part of their initiative.


“Balance is key, both to fit physical activity into their routine and to have food and beverage choices that have health benefits and are low in calories.”



Calories out: Commitment to Active Play 



Playability with KaBoom!



The Physical Activity Deficit:

  • Only 20% of children live near a park
  • Two-thirds of kids get less than an hour of play a day
  • They’re increasingly time-crunched, with 12 fewer hours of free time per week
  • Disadvantaged inner-city youth participate 40% less in sports and fitness
  • And recreational time is increasingly spent on devices. Kids 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day on media
  
The consequence of all this is poorer eating and drinking habits and an obesity rate that has tripled! 

DPS says “To help address the decline of active play in communities across the U.S., Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) launched Let’s Play to provide the tools, spaces and inspiration to make play a daily priority.”




Let’s Play: A Meaningful Part of the Solution -DPS has:

•      To date, built or improved 2,000 playgrounds
•      To date, have provided 5 million children with the opportunity to play
•      Worked in partnerships with our retailers and bottlers
•      Involved government officials
•      To date, have engaged more than 2,300 employee volunteers
•      To date, have donated more than 18,000 volunteer hours


I was very impressed with the amount of hours and the overall level of commitment from DPS employees! The Let’s Play program is doing well, in fact, it’s expanded!




Let’s Play timeline and how we can get involved:


Playability let's get #involved and #active!



  •   DPS launched Let’s Play in 2011 with a $15 million three year partnership to build or improve 2,000 playgrounds with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated promoting active play.
  •  In 2014, DPS and KaBOOM! extended their partnership through 2016 with an additional $10 million commitment from DPS to continue providing kids the active play they need.
  • This year, DPS made a $1 million commitment to Good Sports, a national non-profit dedicated to promoting active play among older children by providing athletic equipment to disadvantaged young people nationwide.


Let’s Play has expanded to include older children who lack the opportunity to participate in organized sports due to the cost of equipment, uniforms and entry fees. I encourage everyone to go to the Let’s Playgrants page, and see what grants are available! By the end of 2016, we will have donated more than $26 million to Let’s Play since we started three years ago.



I left the DPS conversation with a new outlook on the brand and company as a whole and was inspired to visit KaBoom! and Let’s Play to see how I could become active in my own community. I encourage you to do the same.

Before we left our virtual conversation, our merry band of bloggers had decided that a road trip to the DPS facility in Texas was in order so we could walk around and see all the amazing research and development in action and yes, we did ask this question:

What are the 23 flavors in the formula for Dr Pepper? The DPS answer was as interesting and funny: “Only two people in the world know the formula to Dr Pepper. We can’t tell you who they are, but they are not in this room! It’s very, very top secret – that is for sure. “


It is my sincere hope that you have gained a better understanding of Dr Pepper Snapple from my post today and will take a moment to visit them and the Let’s Play sites and then- log off your computer and get outside and play with or without kids!

Happy Holidays!


Please share in comments: Does your community have enough playgrounds? How would you like to see your community improve in this area?  



Disclosure: My thanks to The Motherhood and Dr Pepper Snapple for sponsoring today’s post. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 
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Keeping our Cats healthy with #WellnessPetFood #sponsored

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Saturday, June 21, 2014

Any visitor to our home will quickly learn that we are a cat family.  Our outside cat will greet you from her perch on the front porch, while our indoor cats will try to figure you out from one of their many window views.


These 3 cats are cherished members of our family and enrich our lives, so feeding them the best food for their age and stage is very important to us. That’s why I was thrilled when my cats were selected to try Wellness Dry Cat Food and Wellness Divine Duo's Formula wet food in partnership with BlogPaws. While I will receive compensation to thank me for my time, all opinions are my own. 
Wellness Pet Food logo

About Wellness Pet Food:

In business for over a decade, Wellness is a pioneer in holistic nutrition. Wellness seeks new ways to help pets thrive, educate people about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and support animal wellness programs. Wellness provides pet parents with a variety of thoughtful nutritional choices to create a foundation of well being. 

The first Wellness product my inside Cats asked to try was the Divine Duo’s Beef Pate & diced Chicken Liver.  


wet #catfood

This wet food helps promote hydration for our cats, which is an important part to their overall health. 

If this duo doesn’t sound like something your Cat or kitten would like, there are 5 flavor options including Chicken Pate & Diced Turkey, Chicken Pate & Diced Duck, Tilapia Pate & Diced Ahi Tuna and Tuna Pate & Diced Salmon.

Don’t some of these flavor combo’s sound delicious?


Next I served my Cats the Wellness Complete Indoor Health. What was assuring to me is this food addresses concerns I have about my indoor cats including weight gain, dry skin and hairballs.


Wellness #drycatfood


Plus,  all recipes are free from corn, soy and wheat, as well as artificial colors and flavors. 

Overall, my cats are very happy with Wellness food. If you have cats, or are considering adopting in June for #AdoptaCatMonth, I invite you to visit the Wellness website to learn more about them and their mission. Wellness also has a line of products made just for dogs.


Please share in comments: Are you a Cat family too?




Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Wellness and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Wellness, but My WAHM Plan only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Wellness is not responsible for the content of this article. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."


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Campbell's Heart Healthy Recipes & Coupons #spon

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Thank you Campbell's Soup Company for sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

We may have switched our calendars to March, but the weather here still feels like February on most days.
On  those "February" days I love to send soup to school with my girls for their lunches. It's a quick and simple way to warm them up from the inside out and ensure they are eating a nutritious lunch and more often than not, I'm sending them Campbell's soup. 

On the soup days- I eat soup at home as well. It's an easy way to get another serving of veggies and it's a great conversation starter when my girls get home because they will ask me which soup I chose. Plus- Campbell's soup is an excellent way to take care of my heart. 


About Campbell's Address Your Heart:


National heart month may be over- but I have made a commitment to better health for myself and my family. Campbell's Soup understands that health is foremost on people’s minds, and keeping your family in tip top shape can be a challenge in these busy times.
That's why their website is loaded with tips, coupons and American Heart Association Certified Recipes like these that make serving a healthy dinner just as easy as serving soup for lunch.


Broccoli Cheddar Rice



Grilled Bruschetta Chicken



Louisiana-Style Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Skillet





Don't these dishes look good? I can't wait to make the sausage and shrimp skillet! Hop on over to Campbell's Kitchen for more recipes, coupons, healthy eating tips and more.

Please share in comments: What's your favorite Campbell's Soup? We are fans of the classic Tomato soup and Minestrone but buy our fair share of Chunky soups as well.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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Ring in the New Year with a healthy Cocktail from VitaFrute/VeeV

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, December 30, 2013


If you are like me and want a cocktail that doesn’t sabotage your diet or make you feel bad about drinking sweet stuff you can’t pronounce, then I have a great option - VitaFrute. With the New Year rapidly approaching, I was happily to agreed to try the free cocktails VitaFrute sent me (shown below) in the hopes I would share my thoughts with you here. All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.


About VitaFrute and VeeV:

                             
An Entrepreneurial brand founded by two brothers Courtney and Carter Reum bringing us the world’s first Acai Spirit. This ready to drink cocktail is the first organic super fruit cocktail in a bottle.  All of the flavors are made with VeeV - the original acai spirit and are available in 4 delicious offerings at 125 calories per serving. 
Not only did they bring us a healthier cocktail, their environmentally aware being the first carbon neutral spirit company that also runs their distilleries on renewable energy. Not to mention they give back a portion of every sale!

“At VeeV®, we donate 1% of all sales to rainforest preservation and environmental initiatives because we would never want to lose sight of the little berry that inspired it all. We are committed to ensuring that the açaí berry, along with all the wondrous superfruits and flora in their rainforest habitats, is around for generations to come.”



Our Review:


MyWAHMPlan.com


My husband and I gave the Margarita a try first. It’s made with organic VEEV Acai spirit, premium Tequila and a blend of all natural lemon, lime and agave nectar. We just poured over ice and enjoyed! It was one of the sweetest Margarita’s we’ve ever had. We found it a little too sweet for our tastes, but if you like drinks with little umbrella’s in them- you will love this Margarita!
Sweetness aside, we still liked the Margarita and can’t wait to try the Lemonade on New Year's Eve. We may even make our own Margarita with the special Veev spirit. Speaking of the VeeV spirit, my husband enjoyed it straight saying it has a smooth, fruity quality that would mix well with any fruit juice. 


Special Offer:

VitaFrute also has a special consumer offer this New Year's (where legal).  VitaFrute will offer savings on any Fitness Class, Gym or Health Club Membership or Monthly Fees.  Consumers just need to purchase 2 bottles of VitaFrute and mail in the rebate form. Just visit  their website HERE to learn more and find a retailer near you. You can also follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
As always, I hope you find this information helpful. Here's wishing you a happy, healthy and safe New Year!  Please share in comments what is your favorite way to greet the New Year?
Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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