Peloton Cycle

If you love to spin but can't get yourself to leave the house, or don't have enough time to join a gym, theres a new technology out on the market that may turn spin your wheels. The Peloton Cycle is a New York based company that can provide you and your busy schedule with spin classes in the comfort of your own home. You follow a live streaming spin class that will be displayed on a large touchscreen console on your bike. This machine allows you to see your cadence, resistance, calories burned, and wattage. However, this spin bike may burn a hole in your pocket costing you $1,995 and $39 monthly class subscriptions, but hey this may be the future of working out! To read more click the post below.

http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/peloton-cycle-at-home-workouts/

TOP TEN REVELATIONS:

1) “Depending on your goals you may want to display your brand in video on YouTube…” (pg.17).

I think YouTube is great because for those who don’t like reading it’s a great way to visually capture someone’s attention. I think making the youtube video for our class was a really awesome idea. The elevator pitch was a great approach to quickly get our message across. 

 My Social Media 4 Social Change YouTube Video

2) “For the first time, consumers have a method for talking to the brands they use, sharing their ideas, their complaints, their compliments, and their observations in a way that gives them a voice” (pg.50).

When we post things on social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook, it is open to the public. Therefore, people are able to voice their opinions. On my twitter account I have been followed by a few really great fitness accounts who have replied to some of my tweets. One of them really liked one of my recipe ideas and said they would have to try it and another one liked a workout that I shared. When you start getting feedback it really makes you want to make your social site that much better/interesting. It’s a really rewarding feeling!

3) “What you look at really depends on the goals of the project” (pg.89).

Depending on what your goals are you may find that some social networking sites work better than others. As we were creating social networking sites throughout this class I definitely felt that some social networking sites worked better for me than others. The social networking site that I believe worked the best for me was Twitter. I have received a handful of feedback from people on my twitter account.

4) “Should your company follow people on twitter, or just be followed” (pg.178)?

I truly believe that companies should follow people back. I think that when a company follows you back you feel connected with that company in a certain way. When creating my twitter I made it a point to follow back each and every one of my followers to show that I care about them. 

5) “Blogging creates dialogue around specific topics” (pg.210).

Following blogs are a great way to receive information. Usually blogs are specific so it’s a great way to get information in a specific ares such as health, fitness, fashion, makeup, etc. Below are a few blogs that I really love to read.

ToneItUp

PurelyTwins

6.  “One of the many things social media in particular has done is give people an opportunity to participate in conversations around a specific product, service, and so on” (pg.245).

Social media is quick, easy, and effective. Using social media for sales is extremely effective. I think that product reviews are really great. Here is a video that I found on healthy food product reviews.  

AND: 

http://healthnuttxo.wordpress.com/

7) RSS Reader

RSS readers are important if you want to keep up to date with blogs and websites that constantly post articles. It’s a good way to stay organized and updated with information. I really enjoyed using RSS reader. It has helped me to stay organized with the websites that pertain to my topic.

8) Embedding Social Networking Sites

It is important to learn to embed different social media outlets into you your blog. This is something that I have learned to be extremely important and beneficial. When you have a blog, it’s important to show everyone as much as possible. Showing them that you are connected to other social networking sites makes you ahead of the game and gives people different perspectives on your campaign.

9) Social Media Takes Time

If you are like me, you want to see progress and you want to see it quick. A really important thing that I learned is that social media takes time. You aren't going to just randomly have 1,000 followers in one day. You must build your brand first and network with people, and eventually you will get more well known. 

10)"Its about building a channel for continuous and meaningful engagement." Pg. 256

This is a great quote from our reading. If you don't believe in your brand/company than how can you expect to succeed? How will you have the drive and motivation to keep your brand/company alive if you don't have any interest in it? You want your consumer to feel a connection with you company. It's important to sound real and not fake. You can show this through all the different social media platforms we learned about. If you truly believe in your company than so will everyone else. 

Healthy Chip Alternatives

If you're like me and you love to snack, then these 5 healthy alternatives to chips are perfect for your midday snack. We all know that potato chips are horrible for our bodies, so here are a few options you can choose from to satisfy your craving. Three out of the five I have already tried.

First let's see the nutrition facts in a bag of lays potato chips:

1. Pop Chips: I'v tried these before and they are actually really delicious! These are light and satisfying if you are craving potato chips. They mimic the crunch you get when eating a potato chip. They have 120 calories per bag, 4g of fat, 18g of carbs, 190mg of sodium, and 2g of protein.

2. Fit Popcorn: Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks in the world. I'v tried this popcorn before and I absolutely love it. Popcorn is a light and satisfying snack that gives you the salty fix you desire without making you feel overly full. There are 130 calories per serving, 6g of fat, 220mg of sodium, 18g of carbs, and 3g of protein.

3. Mary's Gone Crackers: I'v never tried these before but they sound delicious, especially for someone who has a lot of food allergies. There crackers are organic, gluten free, vegan, nut-free, dairy free, wheat free, no hydrogenated oil, no trans fats, made with brown rice, quinoa, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds. These have 140 calories per serving, 5g of fat, 190mg of sodium, 21g of carbs, 3g of fiber, and 3g of protein.

4. Nut thins: I'v never tried these either, but they are also good for food allergies. They are gluten free, free of cholesterol and saturated fat, low sodium, and made from rice flour and almonds. They have 130 calories per serving, 2.5g of fat, 80mg of sodium, 24g of carbs, 1g of fiber, and 3g of protein.

5. Roasted Seaweed Snacks: These I have tried before, however, if you don't like fish I wouldn't recommend them being that they have a slight fishy taste. They are gluten free, vegan, and have low sodium. They have 30 calories per serving, 2g of fat, 50mg of sodium, 1g of carbs, 1g of fiber, and 1g of protein.

Overall I think these are all really great choices compared to you're average chip! Enjoy!

Here is the link of the original article:
http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/nutrition/healthy-eating-tips/healthy-chip-alternatives/

social media 4 social change

Bathing suit season is right around the corner. So, for those of you who want some quick tips to lose those last 10 lbs. here are a few ways to do it. This article lists 8 ways to drop 10 pounds. First tip is to eat small meals throughout the day so that you your metabolism is constantly high. Second, eat at regular intervals. Third, eat protein with every meal to build muscle and because it takes more energy for your body to break down protein, causing you to burn more calories. Fourth, drink plenty of water to keep your metabolism going and to keep you energized during your workouts. Fifth, check your macronutrient ratios so that your body uses fat as fuel to preserve muscle. Sixth, try a re-load day to increase your carbs one day per week so that your body doesn't get used to your diet.  Seventh, avoid eating starchy carbs and fats together. And finally, reduce your calories. For more information on this step-by-step plan click the link below.

http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-diets/8-ways-to-lose-10/

3 Fat-Blasting HIIT Workouts

H.I.I.T training stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It has become increasingly popular over the past few years and is extremely effective for weight loss and muscle tone. I love HIIT training because you shock your body by doing bursts of intense training. This article focuses on three different HIIT training workouts. The first one is a treadmill workout. This is great because instead of staying on one incline it switches up the incline engaging your muscles. The next one involves using your body weight. This one is great because you can do this anywhere. For those of you who don't like the treadmill (like myself) the third one involves the outdoors. This one is my favorite because you get a full body workout. Click the URL to get a more in-depth look at these three workouts.

http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/high-intensity-interval-hiit-workouts/

Banana Oat Cookies

This is another great recipe that I love to make when I have a sweet tooth. It is extremely satisfying and delicious!

Banana Oat Cookie Recipe:
-2 ripe bananas
-1 cup plain steel cut/old fashioned rolled oats
-1-2 packets of stevia

(this part is optional)
-2 tsb. cinnamon
-1/4 cup crushed walnuts

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a non-stick cookie tray with cooking spray or coconut oil. Mash both bananas in a bowl. Combine oats, 1-2 packets of stevia, and/or add 2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 cup crushed walnuts. Bake for 15 minutes.

Plantain Bread Recipe

I love this recipe because it doesn't require flour. This is another recipe, along with the mug muffin, that blows my mind. It has sort of a banana bread taste to it and its consistency is just like bread. You can make it with or without stevia. I like adding stevia if I have a sweet tooth. However, if you want more of a bland bread-like taste then skip the stevia. I found this recipe on purelytwins.com. I will show you their original recipe and then I will show you my tweaked version.

Purely Twins Original Recipe:
-7-8 oz plantain (any ripeness will work)
-2 whole eggs

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel plantain, put in food processor or blender. Add in eggs. Mix thoroughly. Grease your pan (you can use coconut oil or cooking spray). Bake for 15-20 minutes.



My Tweaked Recipe: 
-7-8 oz plantain (any ripeness will work)
-2 whole eggs
-1 tsp. baking powder
-2 tsp. cinnamon
-1-2 packets of stevia
-1 tbs. psyllium powder or ground flax (optional)

*Preheat oven to 365 degrees. Peel plantain, put in food processor or blender. Add in eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, stevia, and/or psyllium or ground flax. Grease pan. Sometimes I like to use a muffin pan to make muffins or just a standard flat pan to make flat bread. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown.  

Mug Muffin

Eating breakfast is one of the most important things you can do when trying to lose weight. I have made it a priority in my everyday life to wake up at least a half hour early so that I have enough time to prepare myself breakfast. If you are a college student, like myself, you may not have enough time to prepare yourself breakfast, or waking up a half hour earlier may not be ideal (considering we barely get any sleep as it is). So, I wanted to find a breakfast that I could make that was not only healthy and filling, but also quick and easy to make. Eating healthy is hard especially when you're in college, however if you start your day off right with a healthy breakfast you will most likely eat health consistently throughout the day. Also, I wanted something filling because as college student our days can get pretty hectic, so we can't always predict the next time we are going to eat. After doing some research I came across a recipe that was everything I had been looking for. I found it in a book called The 100 by Jorge Cruise. All you have to do is combine the ingredients listed below in a mug and pop it in the microwave for only 50 seconds. I tweaked this recipe a little so I will show you the original recipe and then my recipe and you can decide which one works best for you.

Jorge Cruise original Mug Muffin Recipe

1 egg
1 packet of stevia
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. coconut oil

*combine all ingredients in a mug and mix thoroughly. Then place in the microwave for 50 seconds.

Topping:
* While this is in the microwave prepare your topping. I like to to this with either the peanut butter or chocolate PB2. PB2 is a powdered peanut butter or chocolate that becomes a paste once you add water. I like to use this because this muffin is extremely dry, especially without the coconut oil. If you don't like PB2 you can also put butter or jam on top or I like to take protein powder and add water to it so that it becomes a liquidy consistency and dip the muffin in it.

(When I made this recipe I found that if the coconut oil wasn't already melted prior to mixing it in the mug that I would get chunks of coconut oil when I ate the muffin)

My Tweaked version of the Mug Muffin 

1 egg
1 packet of stevia
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*combine all ingredients in a mug and mix thoroughly. Then place in the microwave for 50 seconds.

Topping:
* While this is in the microwave prepare your topping. I like to to this with either the peanut butter or chocolate PB2. PB2 is a powdered peanut butter or chocolate that becomes a paste once you add water. I like to use this because this muffin is extremely dry, especially without the coconut oil. If you don't like PB2 you can also put butter or jam on top or I like to take protein powder and add water to it so that it becomes a liquidy consistency and dip the muffin in it.


Side Note: if this seems like a lot, you can measure all the dry ingredients out the night before and place it in mug so that in the morning all you have to do is add the wet ingredients and simply mix it all together.

My First Post

Hey, my name is Margaux Rand and this is my first post on my blog. I created this blog to help others live a healthier lifestyle. My goal is to encourage people to live a healthier life through nutrition, exercise, and a positive attitude. On this blog I will share recipes and workouts that I love, and encourage positive energy throughout this journey. I am not an expert, but after years of testing out different ways to live a healthier lifestyle I have learned many things that I would love to share with you guys. I am extremely excited to get started and I hope that I can encourage and inspire others along the way!