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Chocolate and beets? Get your finger off the back button, let me explain! Trust me, if you are looking for a sneaky way to squeeze some nutrition into your diet, this is where it's at.
I know what you're thinking, beets taste like dirt, unless you're weird and can eat them plain like me, so how could they possibly make a cupcake taste good? For one, they add density and moisture not found in any baking mix or unhealthy alternative, not to mention a very pretty color that your kids (or cats) are sure to be intrigued by. Best of all, the chocolate almost completely masks the flavor of the beet. Why are beets something you want to incorporate, even if sneakily, into your diet? Let's check out some of the amazing benefits. 
Reduces Blood Pressure
The same oxygen boosting effect that occurs in athletes can benefit the average person as well by dilating their blood vessels and thereby lowering blood pressure.³
High stress job? Maybe it's time to up that beet intake. High concentrations of betaine
Betaine is the amino acid found in beets that can help reduce risk of heart disease by lowering the levels of an amino acid that, at high levels, puts you at risk for artery damage and heart disease.
FYI betaine is also found in substantial amounts in quinoa and spinach. It also helps the liver out big time by increasing detoxifying enzymes in the body and preventing, as well as reducing, fat accumulation in the liver. This is good for your next weekend drinking binge.⁴ Essential Nutrient Gold Mine
Beets are chock full of B vitamins, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, and potassium, to name a few. Stop wasting money on multi-vitamins.
Helps you poo
Thanks to all the fiber in a whole beet, you won't have any problems on the potty.
"Heaven forbid people should have to change their diet to improve their health." Flourless Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
I love this one because you can throw everything into a blender. Costco currently has cooked prepackaged beets, which completely expedite the process of cleaning, cooking, and peeling your own!
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1. Bailey SJ, Winyard P, Vanhatalo A, Blackwell JR, Dimenna FJ, Wilkerson DP, Tarr J, Benjamin N, Jones AM. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2009 Oct;107(4):1144-55. Epub 2009 Aug 6.
2, 3, 4. FACLM, M. G. (n.d.). Whole Beets vs. Juice for Improving Athletic Performance. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from https://nutritionfacts.org/video/whole-beets-vs-juice-for-improving-athletic-performance/
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Let's be honest, mornings can be a complete whirlwind, especially if you hit the snooze. Sometimes you don't have time to do more than compose yourself and then hit the ground running.
That said, it's a good plan to have something healthy and delicious, that didn't come in a package, and that.. yes.. was simple enough to make yourself. 
Ingredients
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Skinny, low calorie, weight loss, why does everything have to sound so diety? In America, we live in a strange paradox; overall, we are a very unhealthy country but are totally obsessed with health.
Weird, right? Contrary to popular belief, healthy food does not have to taste like a shoe, and weight loss oriented goals do not have to eliminate all the enjoyable things in life, case in point: the svelte enchilada and mindful margarita. 
In this article we are staying away from words like skinny and weight loss because more negative connotations typically come to mind than positive.
Personally, skinny makes me think of the underweight models seen on magazine covers or the housewife on an obsessive journey to get back to her high school weight. When I think weight loss, I think of the focus obsessively being on weight, numbers, and literally loss. This does more harm than good to our psyche, while the process should instead be about how it makes us feel: stronger, more energized, more in control of our life, etc. When I imagine svelte on the other hand, I see someone who is strong, lean, elegant and healthy. It is less diet and more lifestyle, as is being mindful about what you eat and how it affects you; thus, the mindful marg! Okay, a little cheesy I know, but let's get to how to make this healthy and delicious dinner! 
Svelte EnchiladasIngredients
Directions
Mindful Margarita
This recipe is so simple and delicious, part of me wants to cry tears of joy. Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but this is an amazing alternative to a normal margarita that, will run you between 450 and 1100 calories (depending on size), and between 50-150g of sugar. Holy crackers.
In a sense, there are two extremes with alcohol consumption, the people who are heavy handed on their pours, and those who obsessively count portion size or restrict consuming them altogether. Being mindful is a balance that falls in between these two extremes. It's nice every now and then to have a drink at the end of a long day, and when paying attention to your health, in general it's important to know what you put into your body. Mindfulness is knowing that you can substitute your standard ingredients for alternatives that are going to be way better for your body, and drink in moderation by picking 8-12oz. glass sizes and leaving the 16-20oz. glasses in the cupboard. Ingredients
Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as up to 1 drink per day in women, and 2 drinks per day for men. A standard drink is 12oz. beer, ~5oz. of wine, and 1.5 ounce shot of hard alcohol - the higher the proof, the higher the calories.
Compared to the Cantina marg, that's not too bad at all!
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Alright, two confessions about this salad:
Stop judging and try it, you might just find yourself hooked as well! 
Why Superfood
Kale the "Queen of Greens"
Benefits
Brussels Sprouts one of the "World's Healthiest Foods"
Fun Fact Brussels sprouts do indeed get their name from the capital of Belgium, Brussels. They were first grown in the 16th century in this area of the world. 
Ingredients
Directions
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We're bringing this recipe back for everyone who didn't get a chance at it the first go round! These muffins have no flour, no sugar, no butter, and yes, are still delicious!
Not only is the taste on point, but they are way easy to make with very little clean up after. They are perfect as a to-go breakfast snack in the morning, post-workout snack, lunchbox item for kids or spouse, or substitute it for those store bought granola bars you keep reaching for in a hunger pickle. 
Ingredients
2 cups oats
2 large, very ripe bananas 2 large eggs 1 cup plain yogurt 1-3 tablespoons honey (depending on how sweet you want your muffins) 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract Pinch of kosher salt Optional add-ins: (up to ½ cup) chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, blueberries, or 1-3 tablespoons of nut butter Directions
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