Grab a bottle of water and some peanut butter brown rice crispy treats and join me over at Attune Foods today. My monthly column on the Daily Digest is fresh off the organic presses.

Here’s the link…

http://blog.attunefoods.com/author/Joanna/

Now I really must go to the gym and give my body Attune-up!

You know how they say if you wait until you’re thirsty to drink some water your body is already dehydrated?

Well, I say if you’ve waited until you’re starving to eat you’re crazy.

In fact, I know when I wait too long between meals, I’m more likely to make really poor decisions like the people in the Snickers commercials. You know the one where the people get really crabby or don’t have a good game because their blood sugar is out of whack and once they eat a candy bar they’re more pleasant and they play better. That is until their blood sugar drops again 30 minutes later and the cycle repeats itself.

But what do I know? I’m not Betty White.

So instead of waiting until I’m “starving” I try to take a lesson from the Boy Scouts and be prepared by…

• Eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day
• Drinking plenty of water as it’s easy to mistake hunger for thirst
• Having vegetables like carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower washed and ready to crunch
• Grabbing a frozen Milky Whey

Yes, I said a frozen Milky Whey. This is my little way to kick my hungry sweet tooth the healthy whey way. Here’s the recipe for…

Frozen Protein Milky Whey Bars

• 1 cup Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Powder
• 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla or Chocolate Almond Milk
• 6-8 drops of Caramel Capella Flavor Drops (NO calories, fat, sugar or artificial sweeteners!)

Blend all ingredients together, pour into ice cube trays, and freeze. These little suckers are like snack size frozen milky whey bars only without the guilt trip.

Now I really must go grab a bite to eat before my Sugar Daddy shows up.

Remember when you were in junior high and you broke up with a boyfriend or girlfriend? You might have been heartbroken anywhere between 15 minutes to 4 or 5 days max.

The same is true when you break up with a bad habit, it stinks for the first few days and then you hardly miss it after that.

Do you have any bad habits that are keeping you from being your best?

I do.

I have portion control issues with almonds. Sure, almonds are good for you, but they also contain plenty of calories. I estimate a small handful of almonds to be about 100 calories…which is fine if you eat one or two rounds, but the calories add up fast when you’re popping 3 or 4 mindless handfuls of those suckers every single day.

So, I’ve decided to break up with almonds. Again. Because…

• I love being a few pounds lighter more than I love almonds.
• I love feeling good (and comfortable) in my clothes more than I love almonds.
• I love feeling confident more than I love almonds.

What things can you put in place of almonds? Ice cream, pizza, watching TV, missing another workout, having another drink, peanut butter? Now humor me and replace those things that might be holding you back in the sentences above, say it out loud, and if you mean it and you’re ready to make a change you just might be on your way to breaking your bad habits, too.

It’s been a few days since I’ve split with almonds and I hardly miss them now. Sure, I’ll see almonds from time to time, but for now I want to start dating my skinny jeans again.

Now I really must go talk to a nun about some good habits and get out of the kitchen before I go nuts!

Dear Girl Scouts of America,

I love your Thin Mint cookies…both sleeves of them.

And I love seeing your sweet little scouts parading my neighborhood in hopes of earning money, badges, confidence, and all that jazz as they pedal their cookies.

But…

I do have one question.

Why did you pick the month of January to sell Girl Scout cookies?

January has two strikes against it:

• 1. It’s cold in many parts of the U.S. (including Atlanta this year) and the Girl Scout uniforms don’t look all that warm.
• 2. January marks the launch of 97.24%* of diets in the world.

*A totally made up and rather exaggerated statistic used in order to make my point.

My point? I think you’d sell even more cookies if you picked another month…May I suggest September?

Just some food for thought.

Sincerely,

Cookie Monster Joanna Sutter

Now I really must go make room in my freezer for all those cookies and if there are any left I’ll share them with you…scouts honor!

I could never be a band ambassador because I can’t play an instrument or even carry a tune.

But, I can be a brand ambassador because I enjoy promoting the things I love for companies like Attune. As a matter of fact, I am happy to report I am now an official brand ambassador for Attune Foods. [Hold your applause until the end.]

Attune Foods makes an impressive line of gluten-free cereals, organic graham crackers, and those chocolate probiotic bars I told you about a few months ago. So if you hear me talk about brands like:

• Uncle Sam
• Erewhon
• Skinner’s
• New Morning

…it’s because I have really good taste and because they are all part of the Attune Foods family.

Over the next several months, I’ll be working with Attune and a team of very talented ambassadors to tell you about their products and other healthy ideas on Fitness & Spice, Twitter, Facebook, and on their website, too. In fact, my first article will debut on the Attune site tomorrow.

[OK, now you can clap.]

Now I really must go practice my tambourine and look in the natural foods section of my grocery store for some more Uncle Sam cereal. I can’t wait to tell you more so stay attuned!

It has come to my attention that some of you don’t eat breakfast.

I know, I can’t believe it either.

Experts will tell you breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I will tell you that every meal you eat is the most important meal of the day. But this isn’t a lecture about every meal of the day this is a lecture about breakfast.

After going 6 to 8 or even 10 hours without food your body needs to break the fast and refuel so it can function efficiently. Not only that, eating a REAL breakfast will keep you from eating that tin of stale caramel popcorn leftover from the holidays when you start to bonk mid-morning.

I start most days with a serving of protein and carbs.

What’s that you say? You don’t have time for breakfast?

Yes you do.

Here are a few fast and healthy breakfast ideas in case you’re not thinking clearly because you skipped breakfast:

• 2 hard boiled eggs and a piece of Ezekiel toast
• Protein shake with berries
• Greek yogurt with fruit or granola
• Oatmeal with protein powder
• Whole grain cereal with almond milk
• Egg Beaters microwaved with a handful of veggies and some fruit

If you’re not a fan of traditional breakfast foods just eat something you’d normally eat for lunch or dinner like chicken, veggies, and whole wheat tortilla, you get the idea. Bottom line: Start the day right with a healthy meal–your body, your employer, and your workout will thank you.

Make the time. You’re worth it.

Now I really must go get off my soap box and go EAT BREAKFAST!

Can you keep a secret?

I just whipped up this Popcorn & Spice gift set for my Pop.

I don’t really call him Pop, in fact, he goes by the name Dad. So if you see a handsome guy named Dad running around, please don’t tell him about this gift or you’ll ruin everything.

Anyway, I love to give gifts from the Fitness & Spice test kitchen so when I saw this simple and healthy idea in a special issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine, I ran right to Bed Bath & Beyond to find the perfect shaker for this…

Pesto Popcorn Seasoning

• 5 T  finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 t dried basil, crushed
• 1/2 t dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 t garlic powder

Combine all of the ingredients together and transfer the mixture to a metal shaker embellished with some really cute ribbon.

Package it up with some popcorn, a great little snack bowl, a movie, or whatever is fitting for your Pop.

Now I really must go before I give away any more secrets or say something really corny like Merry Fitness, or worse, Seasons Eatings!

I learn something new everyday.

For instance, yesterday I learned…

How to Make Powdered Sugar

• 1 Cup Sugar (I used Splenda)
• 2 T Cornstarch

Toss into a blender. Blend. Done.

So yesterday afternoon I made…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

• 2 Cups Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar (see the recipe above)
• 1/4 t Salt

Melt 1 cup of dark chocolate chips in the microwave. Spoon the melted chocolate into mini muffin tins lined with paper cups, filling just about half way. Using a spoon coat the inside of the paper cup with a bit of the chocolate and then toss them in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens. Next, combine the peanut butter, salt, and powdered sugar and then drop the mixture by the teaspoon onto each chocolate cup.  Melt the rest of the chocolate chips and then spoon on top of the peanut butter. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets. Makes about 16 peanut butter cups depending on how much batter you eat.

Package these suckers up for a quick Christmas gift, stuff them in a stocking, or do what I just did and stuff them in your mouth.

Now I really must go powder my nose and make a batch for Santa…I need to (peanut) butter him up!

All I want for Christmas is a self cleaning house and some really cute shoes.

A girl can dream, right?

Well, it’s time to stop dreaming and time to power shop because apparently today is one of the last days the post office will guarantee packages to arrive before Christmas. So, if you still have shopping to do as well, I thought I’d share a few of the things I love and a few things I think I’d really love to have under my Fitness Tree this year.

And since Fitness & Spice is where fitness, food, and fashion get a healthy shake, I’ll give you a few gift suggestions in each category. Let’s get the shopping spree started with…

Gifts Fit for the Fitness Fanatic

• A Treadmill Desk. I would love a TrekDesk for my home office…this contraption gives the word “workout” an entirely new meaning. It’s a little pricey but I’m you’re worth it!
• Road ID. Don’t tell my brother, but he’s getting one of these customized wrist bands for Christmas, that way he can’t return or regift it. Road ID is the dog tag for runners, or any athlete for that matter, that can be personalized with the owners “in case of emergency” information.
• fitbook. I remain the (self-appointed) president of the fitbook fan club. fitbook is a 12-week fitness and nutrition journal and goal setting system. I use mine every single day to keep my goals in check. And in case you missed it, fitbook rolled out two limited edition fitbooks this year, one that is pretty in PINK and the other that is decked out in BLACK…for those of you with a bit of a dark side.

Gifts Fit for the Food Lover

• The Best of Clean Eating. The editors of Clean Eating Magazine compiled 200 of their favorite recipes and created this cookbook. I would know, they just sent me a copy and it gets my seal of approval and a coveted spot on the island in the Fitness & Spice Test kitchen.
• Reusable Snack Bags. Words to Sweat By, the creators of those whimsical gym towels and key chains I’ve told you about, now has an equally witty line of reusable snack bags perfect for packing up your own healthy 100 calorie packs…healthy for you and the environment.
• The Protein Bakery. Score some “brownie points” with Santa by giving him (or her) a sampler pack of Oprah-approved, all natural, protein-packed cookies, blondies, and brownies. These freshly baked treats are perfect for stuffing into the stockings of anyone on your list with a healthy sweet tooth.

Gifts Fit the Fashion Forward

• Count Me Healthy bracelets. These bracelets are fabulous. Not only are they an elegant piece of jewelry, but each one comes with 12 beads that can help you keep track your healthy-living goals. Pretty and smart? Pretty smart if you ask me! You add one bead at a time as a visual representation of a milestone toward your goal…whether you want to drink 12 cups of water a day, drop 12 pounds, or remind yourself how many weeks are left until your next race or special event, it’s up to you.
• String-Ring. You know how they say you should tie a string around your finger to help you remember something? A don’t-forget-me-knot, if you will. Anyway, this company enhanced that concept and turned it into a charming ring you can wear everyday. Maybe you need a gentle nudge to be a little more patient (like I do) or a reminder to eat more vegetables, this ring can be your discrete cue to help you become an even better version of you.
• Tube Socks. Fashletics created a sassy set of knee-high socks to remind us to LIVE LOVE LIFT. Can you think of a more fitting stocking stuffer? I think not.

Now I really must go clean the house and finish shopping because it’s beginning to look a lot like fitness!

My friends are like my workouts, some are rather spicy and others are quite sweet. So you know what I’m making for them for Christmas gifts? Sweet and Spicy Spice mixes straight from the Fitness & Spice test kitchen.

Let’s start with…

Sweetness & Spice Mix

• 5 T Sugar or Sugar Substitute
• 2 T Ground Cinnamon
• 1 T Ground Nutmeg
• 1 T Ground Coriander
• 1/2 t Ground Ginger (If you’re not a fan, skip it, or use ground cloves instead, in fact, do that.)

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into spice jars. Sprinkle on oatmeal, into baked goods or a cup of hot tea, on top of a baked sweet potato or a piece of toast, or into a protein shake, of course.

And now for the…

Hot & Spicy Spice Mix

• 3 T Brown Sugar (I use Splenda’s brown sugar blend)
• 1 1/2 T Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 T Ground Cinnamon
• 1 t Ground Coriander
• 1/2 t Chipotle Powder

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into spice jars. Sprinkle into chili, or into some sweet potato or cauliflower mash, but not into a protein shake.

A few (very obvious) rules:

• Label your spice bottles (I found the bottles pictured here at Whole Foods)
• Give them as a set or individually (or with a bottle of homemade vanilla extract)
• Keep some for yourself
• Customize your own blends

Now I really must go before I bust out a Vanilla-Spice joke, baby.