There. I said it.

I’ve been cheating on Starbucks.

Why in the world would one do that, you ask? Because I discovered another coffee shop in town carries sugar-free chocolate syrup. I’ve been adding this sugar-free syrup to my Americanno order nearly every morning for the last week. I’ll admit it tastes ahhh-mazing but after a little process of elimination I figured out it is the reason my stomach has been a hot mess. And by “hot mess” I mean I’ve been doubled over in pain at times. Not cute.

And to make matters worse, this morning when I went inside the unnamed coffee shop I asked to see the ingredients list and nutrition facts of the delicious sugar-free chocolate syrup. I assumed the label would inform me that through the wonder of chemicals I have been consuming zero calories and zero carbs in my coffee. Um, no. I was wrong on both counts. It turns out the syrup contains 80 calories and over 20 grams of carbs per ounce, which is fine if you enjoy drinking calories, but I don’t unless, of course, it’s a protein shake.

The moral of my story? Assume nothing. Listen to your body. Know the (nutrition) facts. And never, ever cheat on Starbucks.

Now I really must go to Starbucks so I can perk up!

However, I am not opposed to dressing up a cup of coffee for a photo (and/or gift giving) opp. What?

You know you want to make your own coffee sleeve, too. Here’s how:

• Run or walk to Starbucks for a cup of coffee
• Sprint to Target and grab some socks from the clearance section or dollar bin
• Cut your socks
• Dress your cup of Joe

No sewing or waking up a sleeping baby required.

Now I really must go finish my coffee and think of something even more ground breaking to write tomorrow that will knock your socks off.

So today I’m turning the tables and am going to spend my energy focusing on the things I take for granted that don’t cost a thing like these…

10 Free Healthy Living Gifts

1. Water. (Free tip: Next time your at Starbucks ask a barista for some ice water it’s free and triple filtered from what I’m told. Who knew?)
2. Vitamin D. (Hello, Sunshine!)
3. Playground workouts. (Here’s a great article on mensfitness.com if you need some ideas)
4. Jump rope. Don’t have one? Skip it. No, really, skip!
5. Walk the dog. Don’t have one? Take mine. No, really.
6. Run the stairs at your local high school track. No school in sight? Go climb a tree or a hill.
7. Spring cleaning.
8. Volunteer. It’s good for your heart and it’s priceless.
9. Have a heart to heart talk with a friend or sole mate.
10. Sleep.

Now I really must go get some rest so I have the energy to count my blessings and pay attention!

What is important is that Earth Day is creating awareness and education about sustainable environmentally-friendly practices.

Sustainability is the capacity to endure, according to the latest entry in Wikipedia.

The capacity to endure.

The concept of sustainability has been a topic of conversation with several friends over the last few weeks, not in terms of the environmental movement, but in terms of our own healthy-living journeys.

I’ve asked this question to my friends, to myself, and now I’m asking you:

Are your workouts and nutrition programs sustainable? Or are they too extreme, or conversely, not extreme enough?

I’m on a mission to strike a healthy balance in terms of fitness and nutrition. There was a time where I would spend well over an hour in the gym a day. And there was a time where I tracked calories and macro-nutrients in spreadsheets to the decimal point. I’ve even gone to the extreme and tried to endure low carb, low fat, and (gasp!) even low calorie diets. But this type of behavior is not sustainable. Not for me anyway.

Besides, I really don’t want to spend more time in the gym than necessary and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life meticulously counting calories, carbs, fat, and protein. Instead, I’m now focused on sustainable workouts and ways of eating. My workouts are challenging but efficient. My diet is balanced and not-so-calculated or limiting.

And I’m happy to report that my energy levels and my body fat are sustainable.

Now I really must go unplug and get ready to endure a core workout that is out of this world!

No I wasn’t.

Ok, I was drooling over the baked goods, but I wasn’t very patient because I could not wait to go home and come up with a recipe for pumpkin scones like the ones I saw on the menu.

Was I successful? Not on the first time up to bat. Or the second time. And the third time? Well, while the third time was quite charming, my scones look nothing like the ones at Starbucks. But they tasted good so I thought I’d share the recipe anyway…

Protein Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

• 1 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1 1/2 cup oat flour (I just blended oatmeal in my blender)
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon
• 7 T sugar-substitute
• 1 large egg (I used an Egg Beater)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 T unsweetened almond milk
• 5 T cold Smart Balance Light Butter
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine the first 5 ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, sugar-substitute, pumpkin puree, and almond milk. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir. Using a fork add the butter to the batter and then fold in the chocolate chips. Bake in prepared muffin tins (I used square shaped muffin tins) at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 10-12 scones.

Honestly, these scones turned out more like the texture of a really hearty muffin, but since they taste pretty darn good, I didn’t strike out completely. On my next swing, I think I’ll use the same batter but try putting the scones on a lower rack in the oven, increasing the oven temperature, and decreasing the baking time. I think with those small adjustments I’ll have a home run.

Now I really must go grab a cup of coffee, a scone, and then try to sell the recipe to Starbucks in my field of dreams.

I have and it is awesome.

Truth be told I only had a sip (OK, two. Three tops.) from a friend’s cup. And you guessed it, I went home and attempted to recreate the drink with a healthy shake.

Here’s my version of the Starbucks sensation I like to call…

Fitness & Spice Hot Chocolate & Caramel Protein Shake

• 1/3 cup Chocolate Protein Powder (I used whey)
• 1 T Sugar Free Caramel Syrup (I bought mine at Starbucks)
• 1 cup Water
• A dash of Himalayan Salt (Celtic Sea Salt will work, too in a pinch)

Blend all ingredients together except for the salt. Pour into a microwave safe coffee mug and microwave for 45-60 seconds. Sprinkle with salt. I said sprinkle with salt–if  you over salt, it will ruin everything.

Why the salt? It brings out the flavor of the caramel, but if you’re a sodium watcher, you can skip it.

Now I really must go salt my protein shake and pepper the pancakes.

1. Get fresh. Buy local produce.

2. Remember to skip the paper or plastic and bring your canvas bags to the grocery store.

3. Journal in a fitbook, printed on recycled paper.

4. Recycle old iPods. (I have a drawer full. Don’t judge.)

5. Shop for environmentally-friendly gym clothes! How cute is this organic cross-back tank from Gaiam?

6. Bring your own mug to Starbucks. Not only will you save paper, you’ll save some coin, too. Starbucks will knock off $.10 every time you bring your own cup, you do-gooder, you!

7. Make a trip to Goodwill to hand over some clothes that no longer fit, skinny.

8. Toss your fitness and cooking magazines into the recycle bin.

9. Snack on Sabra Hummus which, according to the label, now comes in Earth Friendlier Packaging.

10. Drink a lot of water from your favorite reusable water bottle like my personal favorite, a KOR ONE Water Vessel.

Speaking of KOR ONE, this could be your lucky day!

Want to WIN a green KOR ONE Water Vessel? Then tell us one GREEN THING you are going to do this St. Patrick’s Day!

The contest will close on Thursday, March 18th and the winner will be announced on Friday.

Now I really must go try Dublin my water intake and subtractin’ my carbon footprint.

I spent yesterday complaining, drinking a ton of water, and drinking two tons of tea.

Speaking of tea, have you tried the new full leaf teas by TAZO? If you’re a tea fan, you might really enjoy them, too. Not only is the packaging of the tea itself fabulous, the flavor is like tea on steroids…big and bold! So far I’ve had the Chai Tea and the Vanilla Rooibos. However, according to the tin, rooibos is not technically a tea, it’s the needles of an African Bush. Who knew?

Anyway, I was going to pick up one of the other flavors of these full leaf teas but when I asked the barista for her recommendation she said, “I don’t drink caffeine.” SAY WHAT?

There are two things wrong with this:

1. I think it should be mandatory that all baristas be caffeinated, or at the very least, the entire morning shift.

2. After doing some light reading (right on the package) I learned they do carry some decaffeinated options (like Vanilla Rooibos, for example). My barista must have slept through that meeting.

Now I really must go freshen up and then put a few ideas in the coffee-house suggestion box. Coming up with helpful hints is my special-tea.

Joy tea is a blend of black, green, and oolong teas that is only available around the holidays. I covet this tea. When Starbucks starts taking down their Christmas displays every year I panic and then I alert my friends around the globe to buy every last box on the shelf and send it to me.

Dr. John Berardi from Precision Nutrition has (all of) this to say about the benefits of drinking tea:

“Tea offers a host of health benefits including cancer prevention, improved blood sugar, fat loss, and improved circulation.”

Some of the benefits attributed to regular tea consumption include:

• Increased 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation
• Decreased waist circumference
• Decreased lipid oxidation
• Improved blood vessel function
• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• Decreased serum cholesterol and triglycerides
• Prevention of atherosclerosis
• Reduced risk of developing high blood pressure
• Inhibition of oxidative damage
• Decreased growth of abnormal cells
• Enhanced immune function
• Prevention of prostate cancer
• Reduced risk of skin cancer
• Regression of oral cancer
• Decreased ovarian cancer risk
• Natural resistance to microbial infection
• Decreased plaque and oral bacteria
• Lower risk of developing kidney stones
• Reduced risk of Parkinson disease

I am not a doctor, and to be honest, some of the words included in this long list of tea-drinking benefits read like a foreign language textbook to me. But I do know what “fat loss and decreased waist circumference” is and that brings me Joy.

Now I’m off to write Starbucks a little love note and tell them that we need Joy all oolong!

If You Give Joanna a Cookie she’ll probably want a latte to go with it.

When I was shopping at Whole Foods a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Country Choice Organic soft baked cookies. After reading the nutritional facts, I decided this was a cookie I could sink my teeth into without feeling guilty. So far I’ve tried their oatmeal chocolate chip and double fudge brownie cookies and I’ve savored every bite of the 100 calorie treats.

Sometimes I enjoy these cookies with a Whole Latte Protein and other times I spice things up with a …

Pumpkin & Spice Protein Latte

• 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 packet Starbucks VIA instant coffee
• 2 T pumpkin puree
• 1/8 t pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup water

Blend ingredients together in your Magic Bullet or shaker. Pour into a coffee cup and microwave for 45-60 seconds. Top with cinnamon or nutmeg.

What would happen if I gave you a cookie? Well, you just might find out if you are the lucky winner of 3 boxes of Country Choice Organic cookies (or any 3 Country Choice products you pick). To enter the drawing tell us the name of your favorite children’s book of all time in the comments section below. The contest will close on Sunday, November 15th at 10:00 P.M. and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Now, I better run, I have to see what happens If You Give A Pig A Pancake.