Slow Down, Almond Honey-Butter Cookies, CardioTip

Tip of the Day: Slow Down

Did you know it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to your brain that you're full? Make it a goal to eat slower, even if you're ravenous, and you'll eat a lot less than you normally would if you were stuffing your face. Talk more while you eat, or take a few breaths between bites.

Healthy Recipe: Almond and Honey-Butter Cookies

I made these for Christmas last year. I love cookies, so it was so nice to find a healthy version! This recipe uses honey instead of sugar...such a great idea!

1 cup whole almonds, toasted (see Tip)
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Note)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup honey, divided
1/3 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds, (see Tip) for garnish

1.Process whole almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground (you will have about 1 1/4 cups ground). Transfer to a large bowl and add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt; stir until just combined. Beat 2/3 cup honey, oil and 3 tablespoons butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

2.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

3.Roll tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press the tip of your index finger in the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Bake the cookies, in batches, until set and barely golden on the bottom, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 30 minutes.

4.Combine the remaining 1/4 cup honey and 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl until creamy. Use about 1/4 teaspoon to fill each cookie and top with 2 sliced almonds, if desired.


Exercise: Cardio Tips

Before you start your workout, warm up your body and get your heart rate up by using an elliptical or treadmill for about 5-10 minutes. It'll really get the blood flowing to your muscles, and help you to maximize your heart rate for your workout which will help you burn more calories. Know what else will help you burn more calories? Making sure you do your full cardio workout after your main workout. Your heart rate will be up a lot higher, especially if your main workout consists of weight and strength training exercises. And if those are the bulk of your exercises, you're going to burn even more calories in your cardio workout. (See below post "cardio vs. strength training" to see the effect that strength training has on you calorie burn.)