Healthier Chocolate Choices: Get a FREE Trial of Superfood Chocolate

What do you crave at the end of a day full of stress? We often want s to reward ourselves with a treat - maybe a gooey chocolate dessert. The problem is, once you’ve stopped thinking “I deserve this, I must have it,” the guilt sets in and start counting calories and sugar, thinking “Why did I do that?” Then, not only are you stressed out by your long day, but also by the reward that was supposed to make it better! 

BUT - you CAN stop the stress cycle for good. Here are two easy ways to indulge in chocolate without the guilt: 

1. Choose wisely. There is a difference between a cheap chocolate cookie and a good quality dark chocolate. Picking an organic, fair-trade chocolate that is at least 60% cacao ensures you will get the great benefits in cacao (read on to learn what they are!) with the least amount of sugar and chemicals. 

2. Let it melt in your mouth. Through amazing chocolate engineering, healthy fats in cocoa butter melt at about 90-93 degrees, a.k.a. the melt-in-your-mouth temperature. Not only do healthy fats help you feel satiated and contribute to better skin and hair, but letting the chocolate melt in your mouth can create a sort of mindful meditation and increase your feelings of well-being and satisfaction. 

If you want to explore the wonderful benefits, try the Free Trial of Superfood Chocolate from ALOHA! You will receive 1 full-size chocolate bar with your trial, which contains 1 serving of fruits and vegetables, is sweetened only with coconut sugar, and is made with 60% fair-trade-cacao. Don't miss your chance to experience this tasty yet beneficial superfood! 

If you become instantly hooked on their products, they also offer Free Shipping on all orders over $50. Head on over to ALOHA.com today! 

Earn 10 Recyclebank Points for Sharing Your Plastic Reuse Ideas

There is a new way to earn FREE RecycleBank points this week. Strike a pose with your best idea for using, disposing, or repurposing plastic and you will earn 10 points. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page!) 

If you’re not yet a RecycleBank member, see my previous Recycle Bank post for more details and information on the great stuff you can earn with your points.

7 Chia Seed Benefits and Facts - A Superfood Primer

Chia is quite the amazing superfood that is packed with benefits in a itsy bitsy little package.  We have a bunch of chia seed basics and benefits to share with you thanks to the good people over at Abe's Market.

7 basics to catch you up on Chia:

1. Chia seed comes from the desert plant salvia hispanica, native to parts of Central and South America. 
2. Evidence shows humans have used chia seeds as far back as 3500 B.C. 
3. Chia served as fuel for Aztec warriors before going into battle and Aztec messengers used it on their cross-empire journeys. 
4. Chia was thought to have magical powers due to the strength and energy it gave those that consumed it. 
5. Chia actually comes from the Aztec word chian, which means oily. 
6. More recently, chia earned the name "runner’s food" by powering the Tarahumara Indians on their legendary long distance runs, as written about in the New York Times best seller Born to Run. 
7. Although small, chia is packed with power; chia is the ultimate superfood.

7 CHIA SEED BENEFITS & FACTS

Chia seeds are the world's richest plant-based source of protein, omega-3 fatty acid and fiber. To put this into context, ounce for ounce, chia has more omega-3 than salmon, more protein than tofu, more calcium than milk, more fiber than oatmeal and more magnesium than broccoli.

• Omega-3: reduces inflammation, lowers bad cholesterol and improves brain function.
• Fiber: 11 grams of fiber per ounce of chia.
• Protein: plant-based, vegan protein.
• Minerals: high concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese, all necessary for important bodily functions.
• Satiation: absorbs 12 times its weight, leaving you feeling full and satisfied.
• Blood Sugar Regulation: helps regulate insulin levels.
• Gluten free: chia is a seed, void of gluten or grains.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that help support our site with no additional cost to you. See our complete disclosure policy here.

Gluten-Free Cookies 50% Off with FREE Shipping

For all you gluten-free readers, there is a great deal right now on Home Free Certified Gluten-Free Cookies - actually 50% off with FREE shipping!  Here's what you get for $18:

1 Box of about 32 chocolate chip mini cookies
1 Box of about 32 vanilla mini cookies
(2) 1.1 oz. single serve bags of chocolate chip mini cookies
(6) 0.95 oz single serve bags of double chocolate mini cookies
(2) 1.1 oz. single serve bags of vanilla mini cookies
(2) 1.1 oz. single serve bags of vanilla mini cookies

The cookies are vegetarian/vegan, kosher pareve, low sodium and the vanilla cookies are low glycemic.

This offer is valid only through 2/10/14.  Limit 1 per person. Valid for residents in the contiguous-U.S. only.  ORDER HERE

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that help support our site with no additional cost to you. See our complete disclosure policy here.

Ultimate Green Smoothie Recipe

You know that awesome feeling right after you finish a workout, like you can take on the world?  It awesome comes right before or right after that overwhelming feeling of exhaustion where your muscles are completely taxed, but the gratification you feel for pushing yourself, for having a great yoga session, for beating your bestie at tennis — whatever it is — can't be bottled. But you CAN fill up a glass with goodness to make sure you don't let your workout go to waste. Fuel up with this fantastic hydrating post-workout smoothie packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants and a whole bunch of goodness that will help you give yourself a post-workout hug. This recipe comes to us courtesy of Abe's Market.  Ready to blend? 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces Harvest Bay Coconut Water
• 2 scoops of Epic Protein by Windy City Organics
• 1 T It's Moringa Green Superfood Powder
• 2 T Happy Hemp Seeds
• 1 T Rich Nature goji powder
• 1 banana
• Handful of kale

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients together
2. Pour into a Greenware disposable cup (made from 100% plants) for easy on-the-go transport. 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that help support our site with no additional cost to you. See our complete disclosure policy here.

FREE Shred it with Weights Workout from Jillian Michaels on Lionsgate BeFit

Now that the weather is turning colder, many of us will be turning to inside-the-house workouts.  Keep motivated with something new!    Available online exclusively on the Lionsgate BeFiT channel, Jillian Michaels' “Shred it with Weights Workout- Level 1” is a boot camp-style workout routine that utilizes a kettle bell (or a free weight), and even includes variations for beginners and advanced users that you can do right in your living room!

From her top-selling fitness DVD, “Shred It with Weights,” Jillian will inspire you as you navigate through a series of arm presses, squats, lunges, explosive dead lift rows, aerobic intervals, and dynamic stretches that will re-shape your body and have you looking and feeling your absolute best, and seeing results within a week.

About Lionsgate BeFiT

Lionsgate BeFit is an ad-supported one-stop shop for free, high-quality fitness programming that features original new shows focusing on the latest trends including complete workout systems, mobile content and highlighting top trainers and brands along with an extensive content catalog.  The trainers showcased on the YouTube network are world-renowned experts in their fields that include Jillian Michaels, Denise Austin, Kym Johnson, Rainbeau Mars, Jane Fonda, Billy Blanks, Jr, Mary Helen Bowers, Dolvett Quince and Scott Herman among others.

FREE SHAPE Magazine 1-Year Digital Subscription

With a FREE 1 year digital subscription to SHAPE Magazine, you not only can work on your own shape, but you can avoid sending a bunch of extra paper to recycling! Sign up for free and you'll recdive a full year of the magazine, starting with the October 2013 issue. No strings attached. You'll never receive a bill. This subscription was purchased on your behalf by JudysHealthySnacks.com. 

Shape Magazine is edited to deliver useful techniques and an understanding of fitness. Top experts from diverse fields of exercise, nutrition, psychology and beauty join forces with nationally known journalists to make each issue a how-to manual for a healthful lifestyle.

Disclosure:  This post may contain affiliate links.  See our complete disclosure policy here.