A Healthy, Summer Pizza

There's no doubting that pizza is one of the most popular and widely consumed foods out there. Unfortunately, it can do a serious number on your daily calorie allowance. This delicious Thai Chicken Pizza is a healthy alternative that's easy (and fun) to make, perfect for leftovers, and can get the whole family involved. You can get creative with toppings, too. Just visit your local farmers' market to find out which seasonal produce will make a delicious addition!

Thai Chicken Pizza 

Ingredients

• 20 ounces whole-wheat pizza dough 
• 1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter 
• 3 tablespoons water 
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced 
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced 
• 1 teaspoon canola oil 
• 8 ounces organic chicken breast, boneless and skinless, trimmed and diced 
• 1 medium organic red bell pepper, diced 
• 4 whole organic scallions (green onions), thinly sliced 
• 2/3 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese 

Preparation

Place oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Roll out or stretch dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough 16-inch oval. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl until well combined.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, scallions and 1 tablespoon of the peanut sauce to the chicken; toss to combine.

Remove the crust from the oven; spread evenly with the remaining peanut sauce. Top with the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Return the pizza to the oven and bake on the bottom rack until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 11 to 13 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Nutrition Facts Number of Servings: 6 Amount Per Serving Calories: 355 Total Fat: 9 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 29 mg Sodium: 447 mg Total Carbohydrate: 42 g Dietary Fiber: 3 g Protein: 20 g

3 Tricks for Pushing Past a Weight-Loss Plateau

Have you hit the dreaded weight-loss plateau? You were doing great for a few weeks, maybe several months, but then, suddenly, you stopped losing weight and you haven't done anything differently! Before you get frustrated and throw out that scale, take a deep breath. Here are three smart tricks that just might push those numbers down again!

The first step to take is to check your portions. You're probably used to "guesstimating" portion size by now, but trust me on this one — break out the measuring cups again. If you've been on a weight-loss program for a while, it's not uncommon for your portion sizes to get larger and larger with time. That little extra bit of rice here and an extra bite or two of chicken there could be what's blocking your progress.

It might be more than just a little bite or two more, which is why you should also start keeping a food log, writing down every single thing you put in your mouth for at least a week. Then sit down and evaluate your intake — do you see extra calories sneaking in at specific times of the day? Maybe you find it particularly hard to control portions of certain foods. You might even find that just the act of writing it all down makes you more accountable — so you'll think twice before you take a bite!

Finally, shake up your fitness routine by increasing the intensity. Push yourself to walk or run a little faster, bike a little longer, or swim three or four more laps. If you're not yet doing any type of strength training, add it to your routine ASAP. Building muscle is a key to boosting your metabolism so that you burn more calories, even when you're not exercising. Plus, toning up can make a huge difference in how you look and how clothing fits even if you don't lose any more weight!

Challenge yourself to put my proven steps to the test — starting right now! I know you'll be thrilled with the results!

How to Intensify Your Workouts

Ever hear the expression "Nothing changes if nothing changes"? If you do the same resistance routine the same way week after week, the day will come when your body will have adapted to that particular workload. In terms of weight loss, that's not a good thing. If your body isn't challenged beyond its comfort zone, you won't see continual results.

Mixing things up to prevent plateaus doesn't take much. That's why every two weeks, my program will challenge you in new ways. Varying the number of reps and sets will constantly surprise the body, which is one way to make sure your workout continues to push you forward.

Apart from changing the number of sets and reps per exercise, you can also change the way you perform a rep. During a weight-lifting exercise, your muscles contract in three distinctly different ways:

• When you lift the weight, your muscles contract positively, or concentrically. 
• At the midpoint of the exercise, when you stop moving the weight but you're still holding it, your muscles contract statically, or isometrically. 
• When you lower the weight, your muscles contract negatively, or eccentrically. 

You can adjust the way you do your reps by shifting the emphasis among the three forms of muscle contraction, which provide you with three ways to do almost anything in the weight room — and endless ways to switch around your routine to keep it fresh and motivating.

7 Disciplines For High Performance

There are 7 disciplines you must develop if you want to achieve all that is possible for you. You can learn these disciplines through practice and repetition until they become automatic. By:
Brian Tracy

Goal Setting

Every morning, take 3 to 5 minutes to write out your top goals in the present tense. Get a spiral notebook for this purpose. By writing out your 10 goals at the beginning of each day, you will program them deep into your subconscious mind.

This daily goal writing will activate your mental powers. It will stimulate your mind and make you more alert. Throughout the day, you will see opportunities and possibilities to move more rapidly toward your goals. 

Planning and Organizing

Take a few minutes, preferably the night before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always work from a list. Always think on paper. This is one of the most powerful and important disciplines of all for high performance.

Priority Setting

The essence of all time management, personal management, and life management is contained in your ability to set proper priorities and use of your time. This is essential for high performance.

Concentration on your Highest-Value Activities 

Your ability to work single-mindedly on your most important task will contribute as much to your success as any other discipline you can develop.

Exercise and Proper Nutrition

Your health is more important than anything else. By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will promote the highest possible levels of health and fitness throughout your life.

Learning and Growth

Your mind is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.

Time for Important People in your Life

Relationships are everything. Be sure that in climbing the ladder of success, you do not find it leaning against the wrong building. Make time for your relationships every day, no matter how busy you get.

Action Exercise

These 7 disciplines will ensure that you perform at the highest level and get the greatest satisfaction and results from everything you do. Study these 7 disciplines and then make a plan for how you can incorporate each of them into your daily life.

When Is The Right Time To Weigh In On The Scale?

I get this questions a lot, so I thought I would share it with everyone.

Question: 

The scale has really never been my friend. How often should I weigh in — and isn't how I feel and look more important than the number on the scale?

Answer: 

Ah, the scale — friend or foe? For so many of us the scale is a source of stress and self-loathing, but it really shouldn't be. Don't think of the scale as anything other than a compass — a tool that we use when losing weight to see if we're on track or off track. It tells us what's going on with our bodies so we can effectively modify our regimen to ensure continued weight loss. It's just a barometer — no more and no less. To use the scale effectively, you should weigh yourself once a week — at the same time, on the same day of the week, wearing similar clothing, and most importantly, ON THE SAME SCALE. Keep in mind that weight loss may fluctuate on a daily basis, and certainly on a weekly basis, because of hormones and fluid retention.