Almond Butter and Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Got a sweet tooth? No problem. These bars are perfect for satisfying your candy craving while filling your body with healthy ingredients like flaxseed and protein at the same time.

Win. Win.

Check it out! At the end of this post is my YouTube tutorial of this recipe for your viewing pleasure.

Ingredients:

1 cup ground oatmeal (put in food processor or blender)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
5 tbsp almond butter
4 tbsp honey
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients: oatmeal, flaxseed and protein powder. Mix well with a whisk.

Then add the almond butter and honey. Mix well with a fork and then use your hands to fully incorporate all of the ingredients. Once all of the dry and wet ingredients are mixed well, add in the chocolate chips and mix those in with your hands until they're evenly distributed.

Next, take the mixture which should be formed into a ball. If you have a hard time creating a ball and getting all of your ingredients to stay formed without falling apart, add in a little more almond butter or honey starting with one tablespoon -- that way you don't add too much.

Then place the mixture in a parchment paper lined 8x8 pan. Press dough into the pan until flat. This recipe can also be used to make balls. Instead of putting mixture into the parchment lined pan, roll out nine balls in your hands instead. 

Put the pan in the refrigerator for at least an hour so that the mixture can harden. This makes it easier to cut into bars.

Remove from the refrigerator and take paper out of the pan. Place on counter or cutting board. Cut your bars however you like. I made nine bars. Store either form (bars or balls) in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Here's my YouTube tutorial of this recipe. If you haven't subscribed to my channel yet, what are you waiting for?! There's a new video every Wednesday!
 

5 Medicine Ball Ab Exercises

Even those areas of the country that had the coldest winter ever, are starting to see the sun and feel warmer weather. 

You know what that means -- summer is right around the corner. 

And if you happen to be a living, breathing, upright walking human being -- then images of making an appearance at a pool or beach are probably starting to pop into mind. 

Wait, wait ... don't get all depressed. I know, I know ... that six-pack that you were planning on hasn't quite come together yet. 

Have no fear. I've got some ab exercises to help make that dream a reality. Check out this video of my favorite ab exercises to do with a medicine ball. 

If you start today, and make sure you stick to a clean diet (did I mention, stick to a clean diet?), then you just might be in time to reveal those rock hard abs this summer after all. 

Meet Tamara Aragon, Soon-to-be Marathoner

Imagine putting one foot in front of the other, then again until you're running. Then see yourself continuing to run for a total of 26.2 miles. Intimidating to think about, right?

Well, running those miles to complete a full marathon for Tamara Aragon is something she's about to make happen. And at one point, she says, it seemed daunting for her, too.

Aragon, a medical aesthetic technician from Phoenix, has prepared to run her first marathon on April 6. Over the last 2 1/2 years, she's been dedicated to running. In her quest to be healthier, she found that she really enjoyed the activity, and it was something she could do long-term.

She began with 5ks then moved her way up to doing half marathons.To date she has completed three half marathons.

As for her decision to run the marathon, she said it came up sort of spur of the moment. The fact that it's being held in beautiful Hawaii was one of the reasons she decided to do it. "I'm not sure if I'll do another marathon," she said. "And if I'm going to do it, I want to enjoy the scenery."

The fourth annual North Shore Marathon with sponsors such as Pepsi and Gatorade is being held in Haleiwa, on the island of Oahu. The community is known for surfing and being a popular tourist area. The race route starts in Haleiwa, then goes to Mokuleia where runners will see views of the beach and then back to Haleiwa.

When asked about feeling nervous, Aragon said, "I'm just ready to get it over with!"

By deciding to do the race at the spur of the moment, she's had a shorter than ideal training schedule of about two months. Even though she would've liked to have longer to train, she feels ready.

Her training schedule consisted of running three times per week and gradually increasing each run over the weeks up to 12 miles. The Saturday before the marathon was her last run, which turned out to be a half marathon.

Aragon's diet has been healthy during her training, though she's not following any particular meal plan. She makes sure she has a mix 80 to 100 ounces of water and electrolyte water daily. She has a specific carb-loading plan that she follows in the days leading up to the race, and for her last meal before the race, "I'm going to keep it light," she said.

Overall, she says she's ready. She wants to complete the run and is looking forward to relaxing in scenic Hawaii once it's over.

After the race, she and her boyfriend (who will be running with her), plan to celebrate their accomplishment by doing something that might seem as intimidating as the thought of completing a marathon -- they're going sky diving.

Review: My Fit Foods