This is probably the hardest time of the year for me. I love sweets. Between the pumpkin and apple pies of Thanksgiving, and the plethora of baked goods around me all of December, I find it a challenge to maintain a healthy diet.

In an effort to curb my out of control sweet tooth without eating highly processed and nutrient devoid calories, I discovered an amazing new brownie recipe. Although this is not a low calorie or low fat dessert, each serving provides a substantial amount of omega 3s, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin E. You can find the original recipe on the link at the bottom of this entry. My adapted version is below:

1 cup walnuts
1/2 cups raw cacao
Pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 cups Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup unsalted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

There are many reasons to avoid eating foods that contain a high amount of added sugar. The first one that comes to most of our minds is usually weight gain, but they are many other reasons to cut back (or cut out!) added sugar in your diet.

1. Sugar is addictive. When trying to lose weight, the last thing I need is an addiction to something that will make me gain weight. More importantly, being addicted to sugar can cause moodiness, depression, and other typical withdrawal symptoms when you do not eat it.

Continuing my quest of helping everyone find a new group fitness class, I want to take a minute to describe some of the benefits of Pilates.

1. Pilates can be beneficial to women at any fitness level.

2. It helps gain core strength, which is a weakness for many of us!

3. It creates long lean muscles instead of short bulky muscles.

4. Pilates focuses on breath patterns, which can benefit overall health.

5. It can improve your flexibility.

Zumba is described as a fitness party. It is designed to be so much fun, you forget how hard you are working. Participants often burn over 500 calories in one class. When done consistently, it can help you lose weight and increase your stamina.

Additionally, we offer Zumba Toning which incorporates light weights. This allows you to build strength while doing your cardio!

If you haven't tried Zumba or are interested in a break down of the basic Zumba steps, sign up for our free Zumba 101 class.