By now, most of us have completely forgotten what our new year’s resolutions were. Most likely they had something to do with getting healthier and spending more time with family. Well, this year one of my new year’s resolutions is to run the Taste of Louisville Half Marathon and to do so I’ve got to stay on track with eating and running – not to mention I need to shed a few pounds to get to the achieve an ideally steady pace.
I’m always on the lookout for health and fitness gadgets and resources for the kitchen to promote healthy eating. I’d love to share with you some of my recent favorites. Dust off those resolutions and get back on track with me with the help of these great tools.
T-FAL Actifry Low-Fat Multicooker is nothing short of a godsend for busy moms. We all get that mommy guilt when we didn’t have time to create a nutritious dinner and throw a frozen pizza in the oven instead. That’s where the ActiFry can change things for your family – simply throw in delicious, nutritious meals such as stir fry, sweet potato fries, poultry, broccoli (the possibilities are just about endless) and add just 1 tablespoon of oil for every 2 lbs of ingredients.
How does it work? Once the food is placed in the multi-cooker, simply set the time and that’s it. A specialized hot-air circulation system cooks the food continuously at 338° while a built-in paddle slowly stirs the food until it’s done.
Omega VERT VRT350 Juicer has so many delicious features and I’m personally in love with it. Most juicers are brutal when extracting juice from fruits and vegetables, operation at speeds of 1,650 – 16,000 RPM. These harsh speeds can damage the natural enzymes found in produce and accelerate the oxidation process.The VRT350 is a masticating juicer which means it operates at a much slower speed of 80 RPM to better preserve the nutrients and enzymes within produce – making it last up to 72 hours after the process is complete! Not only is it efficient, but it’s actually very entertaining to watch both the pulp and the juice eject the machine.
What’s even better? You can make sorbet with this baby!
Juicer is just about the best thing you can buy for your health’s sake. Some may feel this model is too pricey, but if you are considering a juice fast or simply incorporating the extra nutrition into your daily lifestyle, why not spend the extra money and get a quality machine that comes with a 10 year warranty as opposed to buying a new machine every couple years. If you’re looking for a slightly less-pricey juicer, I recommend the Omega Mega Mouth BMJ390. Also an incredible juicer and this one too comes with a 10 year warranty.
The unit not only makes delicious, low-fat meals for your family but is also odorless and no potentially dangerous heat emanates from the ActiFry. It’s parent tested and approved. This wonderful gadget has so much good going for it that it’s hard to think of one disadvantage.
Biggest Loser SlimCoach powered by MYTRAK puts the knowledge of amazing personal trainers like Bob Harper to work for you. I’ll be honest, I love the show – who doesn’t? So, what is the SlimCoach and how does it work? It’s a highly sensitive activity tracker you wear on your person that helps you hit your burn and keep track of calories consumed. Have a weight loss goal in mind? Want to take things slowly or maybe push yourself? This powerful little device can help you reach those goals.
The device works in conjunction with BiggestLoserSlimCoach.com and its companion software. Simply enter your height, weight and a bit about yourself along with how quickly you’d like to shed some pounds. The software will calculate your ideal daily caloric intake and burn. Stay on track, meet your goals and even get plugged in with other users with the Biggest Loser Slim Coach.
FitOrbit 2.0 makes the common excuse, “If I had a personal trainer, I would get fit.” irrelevant. Some of us need a living, breathing person to kick us in the behind once in a while to keep us accountable for our fitness goals. Don’t think you can afford a personal trainer? Think again. FitOrbit is an online system that allows users to choose from hundreds of real personal trainers (no robots, yay!). Once you’ve chosen one, they are at your disposal 24/7 online. You will get meal plans, personalized workouts, and so much more at your fingertips on the user-friendly website and the personal trainer you’ve chosen.
What’s the catch? A whopping $2 a day. The system is brilliant and the cost is unbeatable. If you want a human rather than just a gadget to get you in shape, this is your lucky day.
I’d love to hear how you are sticking to your fitness goals this year. What keeps you on track?
Hannah Camacho is an educator, mom to three wonderful children ages 3 and younger and proud wife of an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran. She is the founder of MyAppinions.com and TheAppNanny.com. When she’s not chasing her three busy little ones, she does freelance work for application developers as a mobile app marketing and pr specialist.
Author: hannah
Amber Johnson
Great round-up (and not what I was expecting!) My Magic Bullet has been a lifesaver and I do smoothies in it every morning for the kiddos. But the Actifry Low-Fat Multicooker? Talk about cool. I think I May need to add that to the list.
Caroline
Fitness goals are still going pretty well, though it’s tough in the winter. How on earth do you stay motivated to do it indoors?
Every time I go to Costco, I’m so tempted by their blenders. You know the one that costs $350. 🙂
Teenie Greenies
I love my magic bullet as well, but am considering a juicer. The bullet doesn’t seem to do as well with vegetables for me.