Amber Keinath

Recipe: Yummy Vegan Vanilla Date Shake!

Amber Keinath — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:23:31 +0000

I can’t help but drive by date farms these days since moving to the southwest. They are all over the place! But, what do you actually do with them?

For a long time, I had no clue!

They kept popping up in all sorts of new recipes I would look through when I made the switch to a plant-strong diet. But, truth be told, they scared me!

I didn’t know how to buy them, store them, or even eat them.

Asking around, I found many people also did not have an idea on how to use them.

By far, the most popular dates in healthy recipes I have found are medjool dates. They are considered the “king of dates” and the “crown jewel of dates”. They are dried before you eat them. Due to their size, amount of meaty fruit, and how moist, sweet tasting, and sticky they are, they are great for desserts, smoothies, dips, and so much more.

They really have been easy to add to my healthy lifestyle. I love just eating them plain. Freezing them and then eating on a hot summer day is great too!

Health Benefits:

Only 70 calories!
High in Fiber, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, and Phosphorus.
They are high in natural sugar, but because it is from a whole food and paired with fiber, they are a great alternative to regular desserts.
They are a VERY good energy source!

How to Buy:

In most grocery stores around the U.S., they are available from mid-summer to mid-fall, but can be stored at home all year long. When buying medjool dates, be sure to choose dates that are plump and have a shiny look to their skin. You do not want dates that have sugar crystals forming on them or have a shriveled look.

How to Store:

You can store your dates in an air-tight container for one week on your counter, up to 6 months in the fridge, and up to a year in your freezer.

Medjool Date Recipes:

Cereal topping
Eat plain
Or take out the pit and fill that area with crushed nuts or nut butter for a quick, high energy snack!
Date Shakes are very popular in southern California and Arizona with all the date farms around. But most date shakes use dairy products which is not plant-strong/vegan. I found 2 yummy plant-based date shake recipes. Test them out and let me know what you think by leaving me a comment at the bottom of the page!

Cinnamon-Vanilla Date Shake
1 cup vanilla soymilk
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 frozen bananas
4 pitted medjool dates

Plain Vanilla Date Shake
2 frozen bananas
1 ½ cup vanilla soymilk
5 pitted medjool dates

You can take the plain vanilla date shake recipe and make any flavor you would like! For a chocolate date shake, just add cocoa powder and for a strawberry date shake, just add 3-5 strawberries.

What do you think? Do you use dates? Leave me a comment below…

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get started on your health journey with your own printable healthy eating guide! Click Here!

The No Workout Solution: Get Sporty!

Amber Keinath — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:59:34 +0000

In the longevity hotspots around the world, people stay healthy and fit just through the daily work they must do.

I don’t know about you, but my work puts me behind the desk most of the day.

Since I started doing this, I can definitely see how people can gain weight so easily in our culture if they don’t try to be active when they are not working! I have yet to fall into that trap due to following my healthy food guide which you can get for yourself for free right here: GET HEALTHY WITH AMBER FOOD GUIDE!

I also have stayed active and fit by getting a little SPORTY!

We all have heard we need to be active on a regular basis at least a thousand times. I am not here to drill you into shape like on the biggest loser, because who likes working out? NOT ME!

The key to getting healthy and fit is to find an activity you enjoy that will get you up and moving!

Growing up in the US, thousands of kids participate in sports. I played basketball and softball through high school. There are a lot of professional sports out there with tons of fans too! So with so much put into sports, how come the obesity rate is steadily climbing each year?

I believe this has a lot to do with so many of us adults, when we get out into the work force, get busy and quit playing those sports of our youth and instead, become mainly fans to our kids and also to professional athletes. Where does this lead us? It leads us to a more sedentary lifestyle and the continual weight gain as we age.

We do get busy in this culture and when we think about losing weight or getting fit, we think we must workout Jillian Michaels style! Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed a few of her workout videos, but true and lasting exercise comes with activities we actually enjoy.

This does not have to come from slaving away in the gym or running forever when we hate doing these activities.

We need to get back to the sports philosophy to leading an active lifestyle by following the example not just the healthy people from those longevity hotspots, but also from our own kids!

Did you participate in any activities that made you exercise when you were younger? What are some activities that you enjoy?

I have come up with 7 different sports that you can participate in at any age! Adults don’t need to give up the FUN EXERCISE! The following are adult tested and the kid in you approved!

1. Tennis: this is a great full body workout that incorporates aerobic exercise with strength building movements for legs, arms, and abs!

2. Hiking: recently my hubby and I started hiking up some of the “mountains” here in the desert that are really rocky and is hard going. We have yet to make it to the top, but we will get there! Nothing motivates more than having a goal! All I can say about hiking is the next day my legs, abs, and glutes hurt!

3. Rock Climbing: this is a great arm and leg strengthening sport!

4. Dancing: there is a reason dancers have nice toned bodies! Dancing is a great aerobic exercise that works the entire body!

5. Swimming: this sport also works both arms and legs and is great for people who have painful joints because it isn’t weight-bearing!

6. Kayaking: my new favorite activity! You will definitely feel the ‘burn’ if you are new to using these muscles. Your arms and abs will get toned in no time!

7. Bowling: bowling? Yes! Bowling is great full body workout if you are not messing around the whole time. Stay focused but enjoy yourself and you will notice some soreness in your arms, shoulders, glutes and abs!

Question of the day:

Do you have a favorite activity that you used to participate in that you truly enjoyed? Out of the list above, what do you think you would enjoy doing to keep you active and fit? Leave your answer below as a comment…

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get started on your health journey with your own printable healthy eating guide! Join me by Clicking Here!

How to Get Started with Juicing!

Amber Keinath — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:57:48 +0000

A few weeks ago, I brought you an awesome article from Karen Knowler, the Raw Food Coach, How to Set up Your Own Smoothie Bar. As a follow up to her smoothie article, I am bringing you “How to Start Juicing at Home” so you can learn how easy and tasty juicing can be!

So why JUICING? They are quick and delicious, and deliver an instant blast of sustainable energy. I like to think of it as high-dose nutrition in a glass!

Home-made fresh juice is lacking the yucky preservatives and additives and the nutrients are easily assimilated in your body! This helps your body absorb more of the good stuff which will give you tons of energy!

Fruit and veggie juices are cleansing, have tons of antioxidants, natural sugars, and chlorophyll that will get you on the road to looking and feeling amazing!

What I have noticed the most is that I no longer have the acne breakouts (having those in your late 20s is embarrassing enough!), my complexion looks awesome, and I have more energy! The past few weeks my co-faculty members have all been affected by colds and the nasty flu. The only problem with me being healthy despite their cold/flu is that I have had to be at work every day!

Start juicing and let me know how you feel!

Step 1: Tool Time.

You don’t need a lot of equipment to start juicing. All you need is a juicer. There are a bunch of different juicers out there on the market and can range in price from around $30 to $500 or more! You can get away with spending what you can on a juicer that gets great reviews on Amazon.com.

If you are looking for a solid juicer that can do many different functions besides just juice, minimizes foam on top of your juice, and minimizes nutrients lost, I recommend…

Last spring I bought an Omega 8006 after reading tons of reviews and health information about juicers. I absolutely love it! It maintains all the awesome nutrients and enzymes and does not have as much of that gross pulp left on the top of the glass.

It is pricey, but it is one of the best investments you can make for your health. I have made it part of my healthy living toolbox.

Some more helpful kitchen tools that are not required but are worth investing in, is a good cutting board that you will only use for fresh produce, a quality chef’s knife, and a fun juice glass! J

Step 2: What to Juice?

The main things that you can juice are fruits and vegetables.

I find juicing a combination of various fruits gives you a great burst of energy. Juicing a combination of fruits and vegetables makes you feel more nourished as well as energized. Vegetable Juices are more detoxing and nourishing.

All I can say to this is to experiment with various combinations! Click here are 3 simple juice recipes to get you started!

Step 3: Set up your Juicing Station.

Find a place in your kitchen that you can designate as your juicing station. Make it convenient to the refrigerator and kitchen sink to make it easier to grab and wash your produce. The key is to not make it difficult to set up your equipment, gather your ingredients, and juice because you will be less likely to ever juice if it is a pain to even get started! Make life simple: keep supplies close!

Step 4: How to Juice!

Set up all your supplies! Pull out your juicer, the fruits/veggies you are going to juice, and your juice glass (fancy & fun to drink your awesome juice in)!
Be sure to wash all your fruits and vegetables. I use the fit wash that can be found at most grocery stores.
Chop and pit and any other preparation that needs to happen to make the fruits and vegetables easier to put through the juicer.
In no particular order, feed your produce into the juicer!
Pour into your fancy and fun juice glass!
Enjoy! Share with family and friends!

Ready for 3 refreshing and tasty juice recipes to get you started? Check out my juice recipe post by clicking here!

Before I wrote this blog post, I had a few readers ask about what I thought about juicing and what type of juicer I recommend. So, for those readers who were wondering what type of juicer I recommend…

The Omega 8006 and I highly encourage you to make the investment if you are serious about getting healthy!

So, Get out there and start juicing!

Leave me a comment below because I want to know: Do you have any questions about getting started juicing? If you have started, what benefits have you noticed and what is your favorite recipe for juicing?

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get started on your health journey with your own printable healthy eating guide! Join me by Clicking Here!

How to Eat a Simply Healthy Breakfast

Amber Keinath — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:52:45 +0000

Breakfast seems to be the most overlooked meal of the day. I grew up eating a breakfast of sugar-filled cereal in vitamin D milk and a PopTart.

My husband either went without breakfast or would have one of those combinations of heart stopping bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, etc.

My sister doesn’t eat breakfast at all.

More and more studies have shown the importance to not only health but to maintaining a healthy weight.

I like to illustrate the importance of breakfast to my clients by asking going through the following: when was the last time you ate? Usually dinner is around 7pm. How long until the next meal if you skip breakfast? That is probably around 16 or 17 hours without anything to eat! What is your body using for fuel? It needs something to keep going just like our cars!

Breakfast is a necessary part of giving your body the necessary energy to face the day!

So eat breakfast!

Now comes the tricky part: what do you eat for breakfast that is actually healthy?

A Pretty Pink Sprinkled Donut? NOPE!

The majority of all food that is advertized for breakfast is not healthy and contains loads of sugar, unhealthy fats, and cholesterol.

Here are my 9 favorite Healthy (& Vegan) breakfast ideas:

Green Fruit Smoothies
Nondairy Yogurt with sliced fresh fruit and topped with granola
Vegan French toast
Fruit spread (with no high fructose corn syrup) on whole wheat toast
Vegan muffins
Fresh fruit topped with finely chopped nuts (or nut butter)
Whole grain cereal with nondairy nut milk
Non-instant oatmeal with fruit
Green Fruit Juice

As you probably tell from this list is I tend to eat more fruit in the morning. I feel fruit is a great way to get energized for your day. To help you feel full longer, add nuts or seeds.

Now, I need your help! What is your high-nutrient breakfast favorite? Leave a comment below so I can add it to the list!

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get a Healthy Lifestyle Coach to help you Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and have FUN. Join me by Clicking Here!

How to Choose a Personal Trainer

Amber Keinath — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:32:02 +0000

How is your week going so far? While I am sure you’re busy running around before the holidays with all the parties, shopping, and spending time with loved ones, I bet you are starting to think about ringing in the New Year as well. Have you decided on any resolutions yet?

Are you up for a challenge? (Directions at bottom of post)

A common New Year’s Resolution is getting to the gym more to workout. That is half the battle! But how do you make the most of your workout time at the gym?

There is no sense in wasting your valuable time if it isn’t going to help you lose weight, get toned, or just get healthy, is there? So, how do you make sure you are doing the exercises that will help you best reach your goals?

In order to get a customizable workout that takes into account your current health status and body shape, it is best to hire a personal trainer. They can run from $30+ per session, but most gyms offer a free session for just joining the gym. If you haven’t taken advantage of your free session yet, I highly recommend you start off the new year with a personal trainer.

Why would you want to work with a Personal Trainer?

They can help you meet a goal such as lose weight, run a 5k, or get you in shape for sports.
They can customize a workout for those with special health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, injuries, or women who are pregnant.
They can help you determine your current fitness status and help you improve it!

How do you choose a Personal Trainer?

Look for one with a Personal Training Certification from organizations such as ACSM, ACE, NASM, or NSCA.
Choose one with the specialization for your current health condition (i.e. pregnancy, postpartum, injury, heart disease, etc.)
Determine how many years of experience they have and any experience in your specific condition.
Make sure they have liability insurance just in case something happens while you are on their watch.
Determine the location you would like to work out at such as a gym, in-home, health center, weight loss clinic, etc.
See if the Personal Trainer has a trial session to make sure your PT is a good fit and will best help you! Remember, it is all about you getting the help you need to reach your goals.
A great Personal Trainer will devise a customizable workout plan, will help you evaluate your progress, gives you direct answers and in terminology you can understand, is a good teacher, is patient, and is someone who cares about helping you reach your goals.

The key is finding someone who fits well with you and your goals.

As you get ready for the New Year, decide on your resolutions and make sure they are doable. There is no sense in making resolutions that are too hard to reach. Make your goals short term and reachable.

For example, if you think you need to lose 50 pounds. Don’t make your goal ‘I will lose 50 pounds by March’. That is a big goal to reach and if you don’t reach it, you may become discouraged. Instead, make your goal I will lose 10 pounds in the next 6 weeks. This goal is smaller and easier to achieve. Once you achieve this goal, you will be more motivated to stick with your program and keep working your way to those 50 pounds.

New Year’s Resolution Motivation Tip: Start with small goals!

Ready for that challenge?

Let’s help each other stick to our New Goals for 2012! It’s easier to do things together than alone!

To your healthy & fit life,

P.S. If you have a question about fitness or a starting a ‘get in shape plan’, and would like to see your question answered on this blog, send your question to Amber or contact Amber on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter!

Amber Keinath

Recipe: Yummy Vegan Vanilla Date Shake!

Related Posts:

The No Workout Solution: Get Sporty!

Related Posts:

How to Get Started with Juicing!

Related Posts:

How to Eat a Simply Healthy Breakfast

Related Posts:

How to Choose a Personal Trainer

Why would you want to work with a Personal Trainer?

How do you choose a Personal Trainer?

Ready for that challenge?

Leave a comment below and let me know what your new year’s resolutions are this year.

Let’s help each other stick to our New Goals for 2012! It’s easier to do things together than alone!

Related Posts: