Hollywood’s biggest night of the year ---Oscar night--- is just around the corner, which means it’s time for stars to slim down and shine for that award-winning moment! Want to know the secret on how to get an Oscar-worthy bod? Don’t fall victim to fad diets in an attempt to lose those inches. Instead, opt for the simplest and healthiest jumpstart that numerous celebrities use to achieve a sexy, red-carpet ready figure with nutrition tips from The Sports Club/LA.



1. DON’T SKIP A MEAL! Have at least 5 meals a day. Everyone, regardless of weight, should be eating every 3-4 hours. It’s better for metabolism, digestion, and energy. Don’t try to starve yourself into weight loss. It doesn’t work. You have to eat to lose!


2. CUT OUT THE FAKE STUFF! Cut out all refined grains and highly processed foods like white breads, crackers and baked goods. They’re generally filled with empty calories and offer little nutritional benefit. Look for whole grains and legumes. For breads, get sprouted wheat, whole wheat or seeded rye; for pasta 100% whole grain; for rice – wild rice or brown rice; for dessert try 1 ounce squares of dark chocolate (at least 60%) which contain healthful flavonoids and other compounds beneficial for your heart.


3. THINK FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: Consider a diet high in fruits and vegetables, especially those that are high in fiber (for example VEGETABLES THINK GREEN - collards, kale, turnip greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts. FRUITS- apples, bananas, berries, dried fruits –figs, raisins, apricots, dates.) The high fiber, generally 35 grams a day, will help you lose weight quickly.


4. AVOID SALT! Salt makes the body retain more liquids and gain more volume, making your body swell. Avoid spiced food and snacks with a high level of salt. Purchase fresh foods and avoid packaged (processed) and fast food. Packaged and convenience foods are often higher in sodium and fat content.


5. DON’T DRINK YOUR CALORIES! EAT THEM! - Juices, soda, cream & sugar in your coffee or tea all add up! ALCOHOL and weight loss are enemies! An average drink is around 200 EMPTY calories.


6. KEEP HYDRATED: Drink 8 cups of water a day! Water helps you keep hydrated and this is significant for the metabolic process! Dehydration affects your mood and energy!


7. LASTLY- GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP – You should be getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Experts say a good night sleep helps aid in healthy and successful weight loss; insufficient sleep can affect weight loss efforts.



About The Sports Club/LA


An innovative leader in the fitness industry since 1979, The Sports Club Company develops, owns and operates luxury sports and fitness complexes on both coasts. The Sports Club/LA members have their choice of a one-club membership or a Bicoastal membership, which allows the member the use of The Sports Club/LA in Los Angeles, The Sports Club/LA in Beverly Hills, The Sports Club/LA in New York, The Sports Club/LA in Washington DC, The Sports Club/LA in Boston, The Sports Club/LA in San Francisco, The Sports Club/LA in Orange County, The Sports Club/LA in Miami, as well as Reebok Sports Club/NY.

The Black Eyed Peas have confirmed that their new single is "Just Can't Get Enough." The electro-ballad appears on their sixth studio album, The Beginning, which is available on iTunes now.

The Peas have also just launched the "Don't Miss A Beat" game on YouTube where fans can take part in a music video challenge spanning the group's entire career.
 

Unsightly moustaches. Zits the size of Skittles. Sudden underarm odor. Some horrible-sounding thing called “menstruation” looming on the horizon like Godzilla making a buffet of the eastern seaboard en route to New York City. Is it any wonder that a girl’s ‘tween years can be both a wondrous (boys!) and difficult time in her life? Mothers and caretakers have a choice to make: Is this an opportunity to foster her self-esteem and strengthen the bond between them—or just time passing until her dreaded teen years?

Erika Katz, author of the soon to be released book, Bonding over Beauty, a Mother-Daughter Guide to Self-Esteem, Confidence and Trust, is a mother and beauty expert who learned firsthand as a child actress and model just how bewildering this time in a young girl’s life can be. Erika wrote this beauty guide for mothers looking to connect with their daughters and build trust through the age old beauty / grooming rituals that every girl goes through on the road to womanhood.
 
“Bonding Over Beauty will equip moms with the information they need to be truly caring—rather than controlling—with their girls… It will enable moms to educate and empower their daughters to make positive choices. While on the surface this looks like a book about beauty, it is actually about moms being able to teach their daughters the most important lesson of all: beauty truly comes from within.”


— From the foreword by Dr. Jane Greer, psychotherapist and author of What About Me? Stop Selfishness From Ruining Your Relationships

Containing numerous bonding activities that can ease the difficulties faced by young girls on the road to physical and emotional maturity, the book also lets mothers know the crucial topics they need to address regarding the confusing effects of puberty. From step-by-step recipes for creating inexpensive, at-home body scrubs and acne remedies to advice on how to deal with unwanted body hair and even more unwanted periods, to recommendations for the best and most age appropriate beauty products for girls to use, Bonding over Beauty is an essential read for anyone raising a ‘tween girl.

Michelle Williams Joins San Diego-Based Non-Profit, Lending Her Voice to Advocate for Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

The Training, Education & Research Institute (TERI, Inc.), a San Diego-based private, non-profit center of excellence and social change for persons with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families, is pleased to welcome three-time Grammy award-winning songstress, television sitcom star and Broadway performer, Michelle Williams, as its national spokeswoman. Michelle will be using her voice to spread and advocate TERI’s mission that every individual with autism and other developmental disabilities has the right to lead a valued, meaningful and fulfilling life of uncompromised quality.

“Supporting those with autism and other developmental disabilities is a cause that is extremely personal to me,” said Michelle Williams. “My godson has autism and I have seen first-hand how TERI’s model programs and initiatives create the highest quality of life for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. I’ve used my voice in various projects to reach people; however, I feel truly blessed to be able to lend it to an internationally recognized organization that values supporting individuals with developmental disabilities across their lifespan. TERI is truly changing the way the world views this population and I am so honored to be a voice for TERI.”

Michelle’s partnership with TERI coincides with the building of the Charles R. Cono Campus for Life Quality, a central home for TERI’s model programs and initiatives, which is slated to open in San Marcos, California, in 2014.

TERI Founder and CEO Cheryl Kilmer added, “we are honored to have Michelle join our TERI family. TERI has always set the standard in creating, designing and providing the highest quality of programs, initiatives and care. Michelle is a shining example of what TERI stands for: talent, class, grace and perseverance. We are thrilled she is here to lend her voice to speak about TERI’s initiatives and assist us in ushering in the completion of the Charles R. Cono Campus for Life Quality, which will help us in continuing our mission of creating the highest quality of life for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.”

To learn more about TERI, its model programs and initiatives, the Charles R. Cono Campus for Life Quality, or to give a gift, please visit http://www.teriinc.org/. For more information about Michelle Williams, please visit http://www.iammichelle.com/.


About Training, Education & Research Institute (TERI, Inc.):


Founded in 1980, TERI, Inc. is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) California corporation. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for children and adults with developmental disabilities and learning disabilities, specializing in serving individuals who have needs which cannot be met by other existing programs. TERI looks to the future by continuing its commitment to set new standards through establishing model programs, conducting applied research in best practices and procedures and offering training and consultation to professionals, families, and community members. Recognized as a model program in the State of California for the quality of services it provides to its clients, TERI relies on donations from the community and foundations in order to continue to set the highest standards and ensure an uncompromised quality of life to its population. For more information, visithttp://www.teriinc.org/.

I'm a little more than halfway through the second week of the Health Starts Here program...  I'm finding it easier as each day passes.  Maybe it's because I think I've finally beat the sugar cravings plus I'm finding a few "go-to" meals for when I need a quick meal that doesn't require hardly any prep time.

I do have to say that I was slightly disappointed on Thursday when I got on the scale only to find that I hadn't lost anything since Monday - but I guess I can look on the bright side(s)... 1) I didn't gain anything and 2) even if I didn't drop any poundage, I'm still eating waaayyy healthier than I ever have in my entire life - which makes it a win-win I guess, even if the scale hasn't moved.

I also have a BIG announcement to make:  I ate Kale!!  Not the kind of kale eating that I did on day 1 (the gagging, kind like a Survivor contestant eating a creepy-crawly live bug), but the smiling, enjoying kind of eating.  I had finally surrendered to the fact that I was just never going to be able to choke down the likes of kale, chard, spinach, greens, etc - until I remembered my mother-in-law's soup.  It's basically an Italian veggie, pasta soup, but it has some sort of greens in it -and I actually like it! [mainly because you can't actually taste the greens].  So I went about making a veggie, bean soup throwing some of any veggie in the refrigerator I could find: onions, red bell peppers, chopped broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, a few small potatoes, some corn, a couple of cans of beans, a little soy sauce, spices, some veggie broth and an entire head of shred-chopped kale.  I have to admit that this has been one of my favorite meals so far.  I have two more bunches of kale in my refrigerator and I am planning to make a new batch on Sunday - but this time I think I'm going to make it in my crock-pot and use lentils instead of canned beans - I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

I have had meat three times this week though, which I'm not sure is so good - I had shredded chicken atop a Caesar salad on Monday night when we went out for Valentines day.  Tuesday I added a chicken breast to a salad for dinner and last night I had an Aidells chicken apple sausage (these are sooo good - and it appeared on the label to be pretty healthy).  I know I shouldn't have had so much meat this week, but I guess it's another habit that I'm going to have to break.

So here's to the rest of week 2 - It's my birthday on Sunday and I am calling a "cease-diet" on that day (I figure it's like one of the few free-pass days that we get each year) & we're going to to a casino buffet so I'm not looking for any weight loss on Monday - as long as the scale sits where it's at I'll be happy.

I'll be back on Monday with the entire week 2 update.


- Liz

Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

-  Looking for the original post with the details about how you can join the Health Starts Here program for FREE? Visit our Post "Health Starts Here"

-  Follow my journey on the Health Starts Here Program & catch up on previous posts.

Women seeking to find and keep the men of their dreams can now get instant answers to their most pressing dating and relationship questions at How to Get the Man of Your Dreams.com, which now offers one-on-one Relationship Coaching chat sessions.

“We created the Urgent Response chat feature for women who prefer an interactive conversation with a Relationship Coach as opposed to our traditional Virtual Coaching platform,” explains Helen Park, Vice President and co-founder of How to Get the Man of Your Dreams.com. “Users can now request a chat session and an expert Relationship Coach will be at their service in 15 minutes or less.”

This guarantee is valid between the hours of 8am – 12am PST. The company is so confident in this service that it also offers a 100% money back guarantee if, for any reason, a user does not find the service helpful. Users chat with one of the many highly-experienced, all-male Relationship Coaches of How to Get the Man of Your Dreams.com who pledge to give honest, unbiased, and effective guidance to help women find and keep the men of their dreams. The chat feature starts at just $5 for a five minute session, and is $.99 per minute thereafter.

How to Get the Man of Your Dreams.com was created to help women find and keep the men of their dreams by empowering them with knowledge and personalized guidance from a team of experienced Relationship Coaches. The Relationship Coaches are men who come from a wide array of diverse backgrounds, and possess decades of relationship experience. They are dedicated to offering confidential, honest and unbiased relationship advice in an anonymous setting.

For additional information, please visit the How to Get the Man of Your Dreams.com website at http://www.howtogetthemanofyourdreams.com/.

With families evaluating their personal finances for 2011, Suze Orman has pledged to provide answers, support, and encouragement by empowering moms like yourself to make finances a family affair.

Last summer you may recall Suze launched her new online community http://www.moneymindedmoms.com/, a site devoted to helping moms make smarter money choices. Suze has revamped the site and partnered with a team of MoneyMindedMoms bloggers, some of whom you may recognize, to bring you more perspectives on money-related topics. We would like to encourage you to revisit the site and check it out.

MoneyMindedMoms community members have free access to valuable, easy to follow advice about topics such as erasing and managing debt, raising money minded kids and coupons and discounts. Providing moms with sound advice is Suze´s top priority and she takes the time to personally respond to questions from members and has even been known to post a video response in some cases. Plus, every month through May, one lucky member will win 1-on-1 time with Suze through the "Ask Suze" Sweepstakes. The site offers useful tools like a debt eliminator and expense tracker, a coupon savings center, as well as forums for sharing stories and insights with like-minded moms.

To help get started with taking control of finances and getting back on track this year, Suze has also created a list of the 11 things moms can do to increase their financial savvy in 2011:

1. Stand in your truth
2. Make finances a family affair
3. Live below your means but within your needs
4. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst
5. Get rid of credit card debt
6. Save an 8-month emergency fund
7. Fund your 401k to the match
8. Fund your Roth IRA to the max
9. Start a 529 plan for your kids´ college education
10. Be "happy you did" vs. "wishing you hadn´t"
11. Never forget people first, then money, then things

To find out more details about how to accomplish these 11 goals, visit http://www.moneymindedmoms.com/. You can also connect with Suze and the MoneyMindedMoms community on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

As a member of my blog spark, the great folks at Money Minded Moms sent me a copy of Suze Orman´s book "Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny"  We have one copy to give away to one lucky reader also!

Giveaways on Pink Lemonade are now easier than ever to enter!

Simply Leave us a comment here at Pink Lemonade - share with us what plans you have for getting your finances into order this year.
This contest ends Wednesday, February 23rd at 11:59pm (pst) so don't wait - enter now!

Please note:

entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.

Your email address MUST either be in your comment or available on your blogger profile or your entry will NOT count!! - Giveaways are open to those with a US shipping address ONLY.

Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

____________________________________________________________________________
The winner in our giveaway WAS:  Comment #7

However.... Not one post had an email address in it & your profiles did not list an email address either :-(  I'm really bummed - I wanted to give away a book.... Oh well, I'll run the giveaway on our facebook page TODAY!

Found this old ad for a new weight loss gimmick - Sanitized Tape Worms... sounds yummy, huh??  Did people really think that putting a parasite into their bodies was a good idea??... hmmm  It's amazing that the human race has survived long enough for us to be here.

When I last left you it was just after the first day of the Health Starts Here program...  The first week has been, well... interesting. 

Although this is not a vegetarian program, it does severely limit meat products which, at first, was really hard - it's amazing how much we rely on meats (lunchmeat, etc) to make our life easier - throw together a sandwich, throw on some eggs for breakfast or steaks for dinner.  I have only had meat three times last week, all chicken and two times it was part of a salad so I think I've done quite well.

I think the worst part of the whole thing is the sugar cravings - Dr Oz tells us it's the #1 food we need to lose because it is literally killing us.   Sugar is most definitely addictive and giving it up can be just as difficult as giving up smoking - I completely believe it! 

If you'd like to hear what Dr Oz has to say about sugar, you can watch the segment on his website:

The #1 Food You Need to Lose, Pt. 1

The #1 Food You Need to Lose, Pt. 2

The #1 Food You Need to Lose, Pt. 3

I've been dealing with the cravings by drinking lots and lots of water and eating one of my new favorite fruits, Pink Lady apples - I'm usually a green apple eater, but simply cannot pass up the Honey Crisps when they come in - the Pink Ladys are sweet, crisp and really juicy - they've helped with that need for something sweet for sure.  I do have to admit that I keep a bar of 73% cacao chocolate in the cupboard for when I just can't get rid of the craving and one square (1/3 of a serving) because it's so rich, usually chases off any lingering "must-have's".

I've given up trying to force down the kales, chards & super dark leafy greens - I just cannot stand them and if this is going to be a new lifelong way of eating, I just cannot face having to choke that stuff down every day - it could definitely be a deal-breaker for me.  I've decided to just add extra salad greens and broccoli to help make up for the dark stuff & hopefully that will be good enough.

Thus far, I haven't been very adventurous with cooking, trying to just get myself used to the program before I start concocting dishes - there are lots of recipes on the Whole Foods Health Starts Here Recipe Section - I think I'm going to give some quinoa stuffed bell peppers a try sometime this week (think I can talk the family into eating them too???... my hopes aren't high, but I'll try).   Last night, I made some really yummy Apple-Cinnamon Oat Squares for today's breakfast - they turned out really great & were easy to make! 

Finding foods that are healthy and fit the program when you're out can be a challenge, but the other day, my Mom and I stopped for lunch at Wendy's - I ordered their Apple-Pecan Chicken Salad - I left off the pecans as they were sugar-coated, but their pomegranate dressing was pretty low-cal and the whole thing was completely yummy (and pretty much on-program). 

I do have to admit though, that yesterday after Church, the fam was really in the mood for In & Out Burgers - not exactly a place I can stay "on-program" as that's all they do - burgers & fries - nothing else.  But because I was determined to do my best to try to salvage what could have been a bad meal situation, I discovered a new treat there - a "Grilled Cheese, Animal-Style".  All the goodness of an In & Out Cheesburger without the meat - no, the bun wasn't a good thing for me, but the rest were just veggies so it worked out fine (and you know what???... I didn't even miss the meat!)

I am proud to say that after seven days of the program, I have lost 8 pounds!  Not too shabby - yay me!!!

So for the first week, the three things I've learned are:   Sugar is highly addictive, I will never like dark-leafy veggies and I don't really miss the meat!

Onward to week 2 - I'll try to post more often this week...


- Liz

Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

-  Looking for the original post with the details about how you can join the Health Starts Here program for FREE? Visit our Post "Health Starts Here"

-  Follow my journey on the Health Starts Here Program & catch up on previous posts.

Well, today's the day - Day 1, D-Day, Zero Hour - I can put it off no longer (not that I really feel the urge to).

Today is the first day of my journey to health. I usually wake up at 5:15am - not because it's my choice, but because our new puppy seems to need to "go" at that hour and like most Moms, if I don't take her, no one will. So I get up, take the puppy out and then begin my day (updating youngest daughter's school website, getting breakfast and lunch ready for Mr Pink, etc). I've been up for 45 minutes and realize that I'm starving. Usually I would wait until 8:15 when I get home from taking youngest daughter to school to eat breakfast and by then I would be famished, so I realize that maybe I need to eat earlier to get my metabolism kick-started and also so I won't be so terribly hungry that I grab anything I can find that's immediately available for breakfast.

So, at 6:45 (probably still later than I should be eating) - I eat some fruit and decide that when I get home from school dropoff I will try making a hot breakfast for myself and oldest daughter.

When we get back home I decide that I'm going to try the Quinoa that I received in my Whole Foods Bag and use it as a breakfast porridge (like oatmeal) - so I cook the grain exactly as instructed, put it in a bowl with a tiny drizzle of honey, some pumpkin pie spice and a splash of vanilla almond milk - hmmmmm....  Well, the Quinoa was definitely good - it had the same bite to it that brown rice does and I really do enjoy it - however, the breakfast cereal idea... not really my cup of tea.  All the time I was eating it all I could think was that I would really enjoy this much more if I had forgone all of the other toppings and opted for soy sauce instead - oh well, live and learn.

There's something about eating a meal you're not really happy with - somehow you just don't feel satisfied so I spent the rest of the morning wanting "something" even though I tried to quench the tummy rumbling with a handful of pistachios - no luck - still hungry... how much longer until lunch??

Lunch was a dilemma - what I really wanted was a good sandwich, some chips and a soda - but I, instead opted for my "really big" salad as the plan calls for daily.  I hadn't planned for it to be quite so big, but it kind of grew - A really big handful of greens... wait, I'm supposed to eat three servings of colorful veggies - let's throw some red bell pepper, chopped broccoli and red onion... oooo how about some avocado?  Wait, I need to have beans - luckily, there was a can of garbanzo beans in the "Starter Kit" so I put a serving (1/2 cup) on top of my growing veggie pile.  There, a "really big" salad that should fulfill those requirements.

Dinner time comes and it's now the biggest dilemma I've had all day - what can I eat that won't send my family running from the dinner table.  I finally decide on roasted chicken breasts, the rest of the family had rice pilaf and Mr Pink and I shared some Kale and Seaweed Salad that I picked up from the salad bar today at Whole Foods.  Kale, yes I did indeed say Kale... and you know what???  I hate it!!  I've never really liked the super dark greens - lettuce of any kind I love, but the chards and kales and other such dark leafy greens are definitely not on my "even remotely like list".  I bravely put a serving of this green stuff on my plate and, just as I remember when I was small, choking down something you hate takes a really. really. long. time.  In fact, just as my family was finishing their plates, I was choking down the last of my small pile of dark leafy greens (I even doused it with balsamic vinegar to help me choke it down).   I did have one bright spot, I added some raspberries so at least the chicken and raspberries were tasty.

So to sum up day one:

Quinoa is best served savory, Salads have a way of growing on their own and I hate Kale.

That, my friends is pretty much it - I'm going to try to make a oatmeal & apple bar recipe for tomorrows breakfast... wish me luck.


- Liz

Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

-  Looking for the original post with the details about how you can join the Health Starts Here program for FREE? Visit our Post "Health Starts Here"

-  Follow my journey on the Health Starts Here Program & catch up on previous posts.

Well here I am - it's Friday - only three days until D-Day, the day I begin to finally provide my body with the nutrition it has been longing for... starving for.


Yesterday, I took a trip to my local Whole Foods Market where I met with Michelle, the Marketing Team Leader for the store.  She was just as nice as can be and she is actually doing the program herself!  She shared with me many of her tips for making this program work, incorporating
it into my life and choosing the foods that will give me the most nutritional bang for my buck.  Michelle taught me about the ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) scores of foods in the store and how I can choose foods like dark leafy greens that have the highest or healthiest scores.  

I also learned that shopping from the bulk bins can save lots of money because not only can I buy only the amount I need, but there isn't any expensive packaging to pay for.  Michelle sent me home with a bag full of foods I'll need next week - things like dark leafy greens, lentils, adzuki beans, quinoa, nuts and berries - there was even a tub of hummus for snacking.

I am now armed and ready for battle - ready to battle the unhealthy foods that we all are guilty of eating.  Dennis Miller once said "You've got bad eating habits if you use a grocery cart in 7-Eleven" - and the grocery cart in the convenience store is equivalent to the quality of food the vast majority of the nation eats on a daily basis.

I'll be back on Monday, where we'll be officially on day 1...


- Liz

Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

-  Looking for the original post with the details about how you can join the Health Starts Here program for FREE? Visit our Post "Health Starts Here"

-  Follow my journey on the Health Starts Here Program & catch up on previous posts.

Start your engines with Big G in the morning! Big G cereals have teamed up with Hot Wheels® to make family time at the breakfast table fun, offering collectible Hot Wheels® pullback racers inside specially marked boxes along with a unique access code to the Hot Wheels® Racing Circuit!

Starting January 24th, inside each participating cereal box (Cheerios® 14 oz, Cinnamon Toast Crunch® 17 oz, Lucky Charms® 16 oz, Reese´s Puffs® 18 oz, and Cookie Crisp® 15.6 oz), you´ll be able to "gas and go" with one of four custom-designed collectable Hot Wheels® pullback racers. Each car contains a code to unlock an exciting online racing game.

When it comes to meals, breakfast is important in helping kids fuel up for the day and Big G cereals provides a healthy breakfast choice for parents to offer their families. You can feel good about giving your kids a bowl of Big G cereal and they´ll be thanking you for a breakfast that is as tasty as it is fun!

As a member of my blog spark, the great folks at General Mills sent me a a “Big G Hot Wheels” gift pack which included 5 boxes of participating Big G cereals, all with collectible Hot Wheels^® pullback racers.  We have one Big G Hot Wheels gift pack to give away to one lucky reader!

Giveaways on Pink Lemonade are now easier than ever to enter!

Simply Leave us a comment here at Pink Lemonade - share which Big G cereal is your favorite or share a memory or story about Hot Wheels.


This contest ends Tuesday, February 8th at 11:59pm (pst) so don't wait - enter now!

Please note:

entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.

Your email address MUST either be in your comment or available on your blogger profile or your entry will NOT count!! - Giveaways are open to those with a US shipping address ONLY.

Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Winner is #1 - Mami2jcn

Congratulations!  I will be emailing you in a few minutes with instructions for claiming your prize.

Looking to add a burst of flavor to your breakfast routine? Cheerios®has introduced new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios® cereal, and we want you to be one of the first to try it!

Made with real cinnamon, new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal will delight your taste buds! This newest edition to the Cheerios line-up allows you to provide your family with a delicious and nutritious breakfast that contains 20% of the Daily Value of fiber (or 5g per serving), has 9g of sugar, is low in fat, saturated fat free and naturally cholesterol free. Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal also provides at least 8g of whole grain per serving; at least 48g recommended daily. A true crowd pleaser, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal is sure to kick-start any morning!

In addition, be sure to check out this fun Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal video montage featuring jingles, taste tests, poems and more on the Cheerios Facebook page.





As a member of my blog spark, the great folks at Cheerios sent me a Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal gift pack that included a box of Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal for my family to try, a family 4-pack of cereal bowls, a travel cereal chiller and a cinnamon scented candle.
We have one Cinnamon Burst Cheerios gift pack to give away to one lucky reader!

Giveaways on Pink Lemonade are now easier than ever to enter!

Simply Leave us a comment here at Pink Lemonade - share what you do each day to start your family off with a smile.
This contest ends Tuesday, February 8th at 11:59pm (pst) so don't wait - enter now!

Please note:

entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.

Your email address MUST either be in your comment or available on your blogger profile or your entry will NOT count!! - Giveaways are open to those with a US shipping address ONLY.

Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.


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Our Winner is #6:  Toystory

Congratulations!  I will be emailing you in a few minutes with instructions for claiming your prize.

It's the first day of my journey to health with Whole Foods Market's Health Starts Here™ initiative.  They've partnered with Eat Right America to provide nutrition information and support for those of us who are participating in the program.

To start off my program, I took the quiz that is part of my 28-day challenge.  Turns out my current eating habits paint a grim picture:  I'm at high risk for heart attack, sudden cardiac death and diabetes just to name a few - looks like it's a good thing I'm on my way to eating healthy.

I now have a personalized picture of my health and current eating habits and recommendation on how to change those current habits to get to where I need to be.  My next step (according to the site) is to find my motivation - guess that shouldn't be hard to do - after all, I had sort of planned to see my kids graduate from high school, college and begin their lives as adults so changing the way I eat seems to be a no-brainer.

I'm also supposed to find a buddy - anyone want to join me?  leave me a comment

Now off to clean out the cupboards (shouldn't be hard, it is the first of the month after all and I haven't had a chance to go grocery shopping yet).  This could be challenging - my family isn't going to be quite as receptive to the healthy way I want to eat (they will still be wanting their snack cakes and crackers, not to mention the sweet beverages).  Guess I'm just going to have to rev' up the willpower and ignore their non-healthy snacks.  Who knows, maybe they'll decide to join me after a while.  To clean out my cupboards, I am supposed to toss (or hide):

• foods that have more than 200 mg sodium per serving
• foods that have flour or sweeteners (e.g. sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) in the first five ingredients listed.
• foods that have words you cannot pronounce in the first five ingredients listed.

That's easy enough to do... right??

I've also printed off a quick list of foods that I should stock up on when I go shopping.  I'll be shopping with a Whole Foods expert later in the week so I'll be back to let you know how all about my experience and what kinds of stuff I'm going to be eating beginning Monday (gotta wait until after Superbowl, right? - lol!)


- Liz

Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

-  Looking for the original post with the details about how you can join the Health Starts Here program for FREE? Visit our Post "Health Starts Here"

-  Follow my journey on the Health Starts Here Program & catch up on previous posts.