On The Go Snack Bar

Posted on June 18, 2013 by berryhappybodies

When I am on the go, moving from one thing to the next I rely on Bars. Some are healthier than others, and as I found during the Yoga Training I have a tendency to gravitate towards the sweet chocolaty ones. Probably my body’s way of saying hey you need some carbs to fuel your busy days.

Allright body, I’m listening. Instead of depending on processed bars to provide energy and nutrients I thought I would make my own version and keep a supply in the fridge.

No baking needed for these babies. Just a stove top, and fridge (or freezer if you going out into the summer heat). And depending on your nutrition needs you can make them as chocolaty or not, the variety can be endless…. Inspired by Best Body Fitness No bake bars.

On The Go Snack Bar

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Peanut Butter Cheerios (or other cereal on hand)
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup crushed Trader Joe’s Ginger Snap Cookies (or crushed Graham Crackers)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 Brown Rice Syrup
3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (can add more if craving extra sweetness)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1/4 cup M&Ms (optional)

Directions
1. Grease 9X12 Baking Pan.
2. In large bowl mix cereal, rolled oats, and crushed cookies together.
3. Over low heat in cooking pot, melt honey, brown rice syrup, peanut butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add in vanilla and stir.
4. Pour heated peanut butter mixture over cereal combination. Stir until well combined.
5. Pour and spread bar mixture into greased pan. Press firmly with spatula.
6. Chill in Refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then cut into bars.

Avocado Pesto with Spinach

Posted on June 5, 2013 by berryhappybodies

My husband and I are addicted to avocados. Good thing we live in California were they are plentiful. Nothing like a little green fuel to keep your day moving along. Love the simple ease of this nutritious recipe. The healthy fats from the avocado and pine nuts keep you full for a while, and the carbs from the pasta keep you going. And of course to keep it well rounded with protein from the spinach and nuts.

I will just post the original source: Natural Noshing since the only change I made was adding onion to the pesto before processing, for a little extra kick. I also threw in some mushrooms at the end, before stirring in the Pesto. Check out her site, she has been posting recipes for awhile and they are always so creatively healthy with beautiful pictures.

And the winner of Warrior Pose is:

Christine from Oatmeal in my Bowl. Check out her site as well for practical advice and motivation! Christine e-mail me!

Thanks for participating!

Unleashing your Inner Warrior Giveaway

Posted on May 28, 2013 by berryhappybodies

Everyone has those days when they need to find strength from within. Sometimes, these days extend longer becoming a bad week, or month. Or sometimes, like in the case of Bhava Ram, several years.

I had never heard of Bhava Ram until his team contacted me for a book review, and invitation to his book release event. I was a little skeptical at first because not only did Brad Willis change his name to Bhava Ram, but he developed his own style of Yoga: Deep Yoga. However, I set aside judgement since the event was in San Diego, and he is a Yogi after all.

Bhava’s book release event ended up being an inspirational night for my husband and I. Bhava’s skill as a Correspondent truly shown through as he read some highlights and summarized his story and book.

And, the book. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy before the event so I had a little history on Bava before attending the Event. If you are ever having a down day, this book will pick you right up. In fact when I finished I could immediately count on two hands the number of people who I would recommend this book to.

It is inspiring , uplifting and reads like a fiction novel. But, it’s not – it’s non ficition- Bhava’s eventful life. How could one man go through so much: wars, a failed back surgery and Stage IV Cancer, and come out still being so optimistic and positive? After reading the book and hearing him speak there is not a doubt in my mind he will continue to inspire others, and developing and practicing Deep Yoga is exactly what he should be doing right now.

If you need that inspiration enter the Giveaway win the inspirational book. There are 4 ways to enter by:

1. Leave a comment on what inspired you below
Leave a comment below saying you did one of the following:
2. “Like” Berryhappybodies on FB
3. Follow on twitter
4. Follow on Instagram

I will announce the winner on Wednesday, June 5th. Good Luck!

To view pictures from this inspirational night click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AXJ2MxUOsg&feature=youtu.be

Finding Inspiration

Posted on May 14, 2013 by berryhappybodies

I am honored to introduce Michelle Pino who offered to write an inspirational post in honor of National Women’s Week. Sweet Michelle works at Skana Spa in Upstate NY. She truthfully stated to me through e-mail: To me, the daily stresses and life’s challenges, make it so important to make health a priority and inspire us to treat our body right. That motivation morphed into habit once I knew how great taking care of myself felt!

I couldn’t agree more with Michelle. I will let her explain how she keeps health a priority:

Finding Healthy Inspiration

Typically used by wedding and event coordinators, inspiration boards are an assortment of different images that encourage you. Inspiration boards can be used as a natural way of brainstorming. Whether your goal is to plan a party or do a closet rehabilitation, inspiration boards will assist you in planning out the necessary steps required to make the process more streamlined.
Here are some easy guidelines to follow when creating an inspiration board:

1. Start looking for images. This can be done on a poster board or electronically. Electronically, you can search the web to search your favorite sites to find images. If you’re creating a tangible poster board, clip images from catalogs or magazines. The simplest way to do this is by making it a point to not look for any specific thing but rather find images that simply catch your eye. With the right photos of fitness activities, relaxing destinations, recipes, health food or music lyrics, you can create the perfect inspiration board.

2. Find your focus.
What similarities do your gathered pictures have? Do you notice a trend? Is it a particular detail? A color-scheme? Find the picture that will be the centerpiece of your creation.

3. Connect the images. Continue narrowing down your collected items to images that are a better connection to the centerpiece of your project.

4. Mix it up.
Try a certain combination, look at it for a while and then try another. Try different combinations of images. Do this until you find one that satisfies you. For fresh perspective, you may want to leave your project for a few hours, then come back to it.

5. Begin creating your inspiration board. You can bring your finished board with you when shopping for supplies or selecting new paint. Don’t be shy about modifying your board as you go, particularly if you discover that some aspect of the board isn’t working and needs tweaking.

Here is an example board:

Photo Credit: New York Golf Club | Beach Yoga| Paintbrush | Cabin on the Lake |

What inspires me to be active and aspire to live a healthier life is the outdoors. I love to travel and see new places. To me, there’s no better feeling than enjoying the outdoors. I’m really inspired by yoga for a number of reasons. Yoga focuses the mind and body, teaching ourselves to find a spiritual balance. I also love that yoga can be done anywhere, even the beach! Simple yoga poses are simple stretches that can be done in the comfort of your own home or when traveling. Yoga is great for beginners and the more advanced athlete. I love the idea of doing yoga on the beach. The beach is so relaxing, a great place for yoga or walking.

The outdoors is what truly inspires me and I’ve used for the center of my inspiration. I’ve been taking lessons near my work at New York golf club, Shenendoah, as a way to spend more time outside. Golf is great because not only is it less strenuous activity, but you also have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Another relaxing activity I’d like to try is painting. I think painting is a great stress reliever, even if you’re not an artist, it can be a relaxing hobby.

It’s hard to make lifestyle changes that stick over time. The key to persisting with any healthy lifestyle is balance. Whether you want to eat more organic food, start exercising daily or just master certain fitness goals, an inspiration board can help you figure out those goals and fine tune what makes you tick so that you stay focused on getting your health together.

Michelle Pino has provided these tips in hopes to educate others on how to lead a more motivating and less stressful life. Michelle believes more focused approach put on our health will result in more balanced life. Her hobbies include cooking, DIY projects and learning about healthy lifestyles. Michelle is thankful to have had the opportunity to work with Alison and together share their ideas on “Berry Happy Bodies”.

Thank you Michelle!

Opening Your Heart to Change

Posted on May 7, 2013 by berryhappybodies

Change is difficult, eye opening, and most of the time arrives when you least expect or desire it.

However if we open our heart to shifts in our day to day, a new level of awareness suddenly enters. Sometimes, we get into these patterns or ruts.

Visualize a dirt path with deep, well worn groves. For awhile this rut may serve us, enabling us to travel down a worn road with little resistance. Over time, this groove limits us to expand beyond it’s directed path, and physically may cause us pain.

Usually what limits us from leaving the comfort of the directed path is fear. Our minds question the uncertain future when we step into uncharted roads. This is the time to listen to the heart. Put, your intentions and focus on where you want this new path to lead.

Maybe take a few minutes to practice some heart and chest opening stretches, while visioning where you want your new path to lead. When done consistently over a matter of weeks you will begin to notice how deeper your breaths are, more confidence in your decisions, and an ease of movement in your body.