Hailey's Helpful Hints

Christine Bryne via Buzz Feed 

Fire up your blenders, folks! While smoothies aren't anything new, they are a quick and convenient way to get a blast of nutrients, including protein, carbs and vitamins A, B, C and more. Thanks to the Daily Burn , here are 25 three ingredient smoothies that are nutritious, energizing and sure to satisfy every type of craving.

  Carb cycling. Hmmm. I'm intrigued. You? Most of you reading this have been brainwashed to think carbs are the devil. Not so. If you know anything about anything you know that there are good carbs and bad carbs. And the right balance of carbs, protein and fat is imperative for your overall health. Chris Powell, trainer from ABC's "Extreme Weight Loss" swears by carb cycling to lose and maintain your optimal weight loss results. Powell explains that high carb days rev up your metabolism and low carb days maximize weight loss. The theory is that when your body keeps alternating between modes, you create the perfect balance to weight loss. So what is carb cycling? In the following paragraphs, you'll learn the basics of carb cycling, four different carb cycling plans - Easy, Classic, Turbo, and Fit - as well as the basics of how to execute this on a weekly basis. What is Carb Cycling? Carb cycling is an eating plan with alternating high-carb and low-carb ...

  Wondering how to incorporate kale - the health world's favorite dark, leafy green of 2014 - into your diet beyond kale chips and green smoothies? Here is a twist on spaghetti that will pump some serious vitamins into an average everyday meal. ~Spaghetti with Kale Pesto~ Recipe from Dr. Oz's " The Good Life " magazine Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 8 oz. kale (Tuscan if available), stemmed, leaves torn (5 cups loosely packed leaves) 1 clove garlic 1 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 cups raw almonds 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes 6 Tbsp olive oil 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti Directions: > Add the kale, garlic, Parmesan, almonds, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Slowly add the olive oil with the machine running. Pulse until the mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth. > Cook the pas...

  I feel like everywhere I turn, everyone is obsessed about "getting their greens." Greens meaning spinach and kale. Swiss chard and bok choy. I feel like the whole green movement is like the fat free trend of the 90's. Its hot right now. I put it in the same bucket as "eating clean."   And no I am not bashing anyone who eats clean or green. 90% of the time, I eat that way. I just get annoyed at all the people who talk about it. Or "pin" it. Just eat. Eat because of the health benefits. Not because you think if you pin it, people will perceive you as this raw, organic wonder woman who concocts amazing, healthy recipes and crafts all day, everyday. Not reality.   Obviously a hot button for me. I'll stop. There's no denying that greens are nutritious and more people should be incorporating leafy veggies into their daily diet. But many of those people don't even know where to begin to make them delicious. One of the freshest, fastest ways to g...

  I can guarantee that almost everyone reading this right now, has a  jar of something pretty old lurking  in the back of the refrigerator. And that mystery jar usually contains some sort of ooey, gooey condiment. Regardless of the fact that I'm naturally a tosser and am constantly purging to satisfy my OCD, most all the condiments in the Dawson refrigerator get used on a consistent basis. Thanks partly to my hopeless attempts of drowning food my kids claim they hate but have never tried with ketchup or ranch. But for the sake of this post, I went to my refrigerator to unveil my mystery jar. And there she was. The Vegenaise spread. Think yellow-tinged mayo. Funny thing is I'm not Vegan. Nor do I intend to be. But for some reason something was telling me I should be. So I went out and spent a sh*t pot of money at Whole Foods only to walk out with an itty-bitty bag of "alternatives." That a...

...to unpack your suitcase on your bed? A: Super bad!! I get on my husband about this all the time. Grosses me out. Think about all the surfaces those wheels have rolled across. I don't even want to think about what we brought back from the streets of San Fran last week.  Ew. Why is it so bad you wonder? The dirt and grime they pick can easily rub off on your linens. If that's not gross enough, your bag could be harboring the most unwanted guests ever: bedbugs . And if you haven't read my post on bed bugs, you may want to educate yourself now by clicking HERE . Bottom line - never place your suitcase on a soft surface like a bed or a chair where bugs can scurry under the cushions or sheets. They multiple quickly so keep the suitcase far from the closet too where they can latch onto other clothes. Best place to unpack is in the garage but that's extremely inconvenient. The next best - a hard surface like the floor in the bathroom or the laundry room. If you do find ...

  Imagine biting into juicy strawberries or crisp green beans...in January. With the help of your freezer and tips from Teri Gault, CEO of the deal finding website thegrocerygame.com, you can savor the deliciousness of colorful fruits and veggies all year round. {FRUIT} Stock up on :: berries, tomatoes, and stone fruits like peaches, plums, and nectarines. To preserve :: Wash and pa dry with paper towels. Hull strawberries and cherries and quarter tomatoes. Peel, slice and toss stone fruits with lemon juice and simple syrup to prevent browning. Place fruit in a single layer on a baking sheet (to keep it from sticking together) and freeze; transfer to zip-top bags. Use within :: 3 to 6 months. Label the date of when you packaged with a Sharpie. Toss if you notice crystallization. {VEGGIES} Stock up on :: zucchini, green beans, peas, and spinach. Avoid produce with a high water content such as cucumbers. To preserve :: Blanch first - drop vegetables in a pot of salted boiling water ...

... to leave clothes in the dry cleaning bag? A: Bottom line: Really bad. What makes your clothes look so fresh is often the chemical perchloroethylene (perc), which the Environmental Protection Agency has linked to many health risks, including cancer. Perc can linger on clothes and when enclosed in a bag, it can build up, putting you in greater danger of breathing it in once you remove the plastic. So ditch the bag right away, says Peter Sinsheimer, executive director of UCLA's Environmental Health Sustainable Technology Program. As even safer option: Try an ecofriendly dry cleaner, who will use liquid carbon dioxide, a silicone-based solvent, or steam and use non-toxic detergents to remove stains.

Summer is prime time for produce and while you may know how to eat and cook all this seasonal deliciousness, do you really know how to store them? Thanks to the Food Network, here are 8 fresh finds that you should never refrigerate. Tomatoes The chill of the icebox makes tomatoes dull and mealy. Store on the counter (under-ripe ones can go on the windowsill). If they begin to get too ripe, it’s time to make tomato jam or roasted tomato sauce. Melon Keep whole melons like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew on the counter for best flavor. USDA research found that storage at room temp may even help keep the antioxidants better intact. Once cut, store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Potatoes Cold temps will break down the starches in potatoes, making them unpleasantly sweet and gritty. Cool and dry darkness is a spud’s best bud. Onions Uncut onions are happy out of the cold. The humidity of the refrigerator makes them moldy and mushy. Avoid direct sunlight and once cut open,...

Talk.About.Brilliant. I'm obsessed. Gorecess.com makes finding a fitness class and scheduling a time to exercise so much easier. Tired of your workout routine? Interested in taking a class such as Barre or Mat Pilates but your gym doesn't offer it? Moved to a new city and are unsure of where to workout? GoRecess helps you find the best class of the day, where you want, when you want, so you can be your best every day. Maybe you're in the mood for a certain type of workout. Maybe you want convenience and something that fits your hectic schedule. Maybe you want variety and the flexibility to try new places. Or maybe you just need the motivation of a good instructor and others around you to inspire you to push yourself. From spinning and yoga to pilates and boxing and more, GoRecess will help you find exactly what you're seeking.   Say goodbye to boring runs on the treadmill, mindless strides on the elliptical and excuses to skip a workout. Now get off yo...

Do something good for yourself this weekend and take 15-45 min of couch time and get your heart pumping.

Let me preface this post by saying: “I eat these foods.” Especially Diet Soda although it's significantly decreased from one a day a few years ago to about one per week, usually longer. And I give into the "healthy" food labels - fat free, sugar free. I'm a sucker for fat free salad dressing. Although I hate that it's loaded with sugar. If you take this list literally, it will just aggravate you, so take it with a grain of salt… or maybe a rain of whole wheat. There are many terms that are misleading in the food advertising industry today. Think of how many times you see healthy phrases plastered all over food containers. Some examples of “healthy food” words on product labels: Fat Free Reduced Fat Low Fat Sugar Free No Added Sugar Diet We are supposed to believe that each of these categories makes a food healthier. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Here is what those “healthy food” phrases actually translate to: Fat free, but full of sugar...

For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies. Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan. James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly. Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types,’ all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning. Once you figure out your tummy type (mine is the STRESS BELLY) thanks to the UK Daily Mail , you'll be on your way to getting the perfect midriff... THE SPARE TIRE TUMMY The spare tire: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it's caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough. HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that k...

I can't even begin to explain how flippin' excited I am about this post. My intention of Hailey's Helpful Hints is to bring you daily tips, tricks and product picks that are useful (and helpful) in your everyday. This post is the epitome of that. Hands down, one of the best products I've come across in a long time. A very long time. Why? Because EVERYONE wants to look their best! If you want to tighten up your mid-section (or anything from your chin down)...You're tired of looking at that post-baby bulge, beer gut or last year's Christmas dinner...You want to get your sexy back - not that you lost it, just sayin...You want to get healthy, naturally ...keep reading. If you personally know me or have been following my blog for some time you know I am a health & fitness guru. I've been an athlete my entire life. I'm all about calories in - calories out. That you need to get your butt to the gym. Or outside. Just get moving. I was adamant that there was ...

Most all of us have been there: the mind-splitting migraine, acute sensitivity to all things louder than a fruit fly, and the nausea to the point of throwing up inches away from the open toilet. It may not be the most glamorous way to wake up after a debauched night of drinking, but the hangover is something you have to experience firsthand to realize you never want to experience it again - until the next time, that is. So, rather than shoot yourself to bring an end to the living hell that has become your life, why not simply end the torture instead? Sadly nothing will heal you of that hangover other than time. If something really worked, you would know about it by now. As with Viagra, you'd be seeing TV commercials for this million-dollar blockbuster cure during football games. The pursuit of a legitimate cure is, in fact, purely commercial, for most medical researchers do not see the hangover as an ill to cure but rather nature's way of stopping us from abusing alcohol. While...