Interview with Mac-n-Mo's Creator & CEO, Maura Knowles (a.k.a Mo)!

Last year I was lucky enough to have met the fabulous Maura Knowles while shooting a Mini Cooper commercial. It was shortly after, that I found out that not only was she a great actress, she was the CEO and creator of Mac n' Mo's Morsels! 

Maura (a.k.a Mo) has created these tasty morsels for her dad, who is a diabetic and a heart patient. They are vegan, and all natural with no preservatives, and are also gluten, sodium, and sugar free! To add to all this greatness, Mac-n-Mo's has been approved by one of the top 10 dietitians in the country. 




I decided that these delicious morsels definitely deserved a spot on my blog. I interviewed Maura and here's what she had to say:


What inspired you to created Mac-N-Mo's?
Mo: My Dad inspired me...his craving for a treat after his Quadruple Bypass Surgery. In February 2010, my Dad suffered two massive heart attacks and underwent a quadruple bypass surgery. The operation was successful, and he was discharged with very clear and strict dietary guidelines. To further complicate things, Dad is a diabetic. Low salt, low fat, low sugar, low cholesterol, no trans fat, more fiber. None of this, some of that. More of this, less of that. You get the picture. Dad’s new diet proved to be a giant challenge, and he craved baked goods. One Saturday morning in March, he begged me to bake something sweet. My challenge was to find all-natural ingredients with no preservatives, very little salt, no added sugar, high in fiber, etc. Mom and I went to several grocery stores, and I searched for as many tasty “legal” ingredients as I could find. By the third store, Mom asked, “What do you plan on making with all this?” Shrugging my shoulders, I replied, “I have no idea, but I’m going to do my best to create something magical for Dad.” After mixing many batches, we found a winner.  Mom, my sister, and I devoured them and most importantly, Dad relished each morsel, exclaiming, “These are magic!” We shared some with our friends, and soon I was taking order requests. I hope you enjoy Mac-n-Mo’s treats as much as we do. They’re “MORSELICIOUS!”

Can you tell us about some of the great all natural ingredients you use in your morsels?
Mo: I use 100% natural real whole food ingredients..NO FAKE FOOD, NO preservatives & NO GMO's.  I make my own Morselicious Mix out of Oats, Coconut, Almonds, and Flax Seeds. 


Where can we purchase these delicious morsels?
Mo: Mac-n-Mo's are sold on macnmos.com, FULL O' LIFE in Burbank, California (Refrigerated Section-back wall) ,  VICENTE FOODS in Brentwood, California (Freezer Aisle #6), and FIGUEROA PRODUCE (refrigerated case near the Check-Out)

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Mo: I believe eating real whole foods is the #1 important thing we can do for ourselves.  Exercise, Love, Laugh, Indulge from time to time & treat yourself well!  Dr. Oz says "if it doesn't rot, it doesn't belong in your gut."  In otherwords, be wary of processed foods and foods that have a long shelf life.  That doesn't mean punish yourself by eating foods you hate! Make healthy choices by alternating recipes and email me for any fun tips.

To find out more about Mac-n-Mo's, you can visit their website at: www.macnmos.com and be sure to check out the adorable Mac-n-Mo's video below! :)  

Also, take a look at Maura's "Morsel vs Cookie" chart. The results are shocking! You can view that here: 

http://tinyurl.com/MorselVSCookie

For great nutritional tips, check out Mac-n-Mo's Tip O' the Day on Twitter:

@macnmomorsels

Holiday weight gain? Not anymore!

As we all know, during the holidays we tend to dread the possible extra pounds we might put on from all the delicious food. We also know that it’s hard to fit in those trips to the gym with all the rushing around for the Holidays!

Well here’s something you may not have known...you don’t need those trips to the gym to keep the extra pounds away! You can do short bouts of exercise while doing all of your holiday shopping, cooking, and cleaning and help you to feel, and look fabulous!

AT THE MALL 

Park and walk
Instead of conveniently parking in the closest parking spot to where you are going, park at the furthest spot away and speed walk to your location! Bend your elbows and swing your arms to add cardio benefits as well. Besides, you won’t have trouble finding a space by parking that far away! :)

While waiting in line
Make good use of your time while waiting in long shopping lines by working out your butt! Squeeze your glutes and count to five, then release. Keep repeating! This will tighten and strengthen your backside.

While shopping
Turn your mall shopping into an exercise stint by taking a full lap around the mall before starting to shop. Not only will you get some exercising in, but you will get a preview of all the stores so you’ll know where to go and shop more efficiently!

IN THE KITCHEN

While food is cooking
Waiting for something to cook? Grab some cans or light dumb-bells and take a few laps around the kitchen or inside of your house doing bicep curls while you walk. You’ll get your circulation pumping while also working several major muscle groups!

While something is in the oven
While waiting for the pie, turkey, ham, etc. to be done in the oven, work your major muscle groups. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Lift arms forward to shoulder heights and lower into a squat. Reach up with arms as you jump straight up, landing in a standing position with knees soft. Repeat.

AFTER DINNER

Help the food digest and relax
To help digest your evening meal and leave the day's stresses behind, close your eyes and imagine yourself in a beautiful, snowy landscape. Keeping your stomach drawn in, bring your knees up one by one at a time and swing your arms as if walking through deep snow.



Happy Holidays! xo
~Exercises from Body + Soul Magazine. Original article written by Kate Hanley~

Whole Wheat Veggie Tostada Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• Whole wheat tortillas
• Baby green lettuce
• (For faster preparation time) Package of pre-cooked veggies (Zucchini, Squash, Carrots, etc)
• Black beans
• Red onion
• Brown rice
• Avocado
• Crumbled goat cheese
• Low-fat sour cream OR guacamole

HOW TO COOK:

1. Cook brown rice and saute the veggies and onions to your desired liking. 
2. Place 1 whole wheat tortilla in the oven directly on the rack and cook at 350º until browned and crispy
3. Slice the avocado
4. When tortilla is crispy, take out and place on plate
5. Put cooked brown rice, baby greens, black beans, sliced avocado, and sauteed veggies onto tortilla, in whichever order you want (I suggest putting brown rice and lettuce on first)
6. Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese and add a spoonful of low-fat sour cream or guacamole on top and enjoy! 

Credit for this recipe goes to my fabulous mother! <3 

Awesome meals for an Awesome You

In a past issue of Seventeen Magazine, I found this awesome chart that had ideas for meals to eat each day of the week that are healthy. Most of the time when we think "healthy meals" you think tofu and spinach right? Well this chart is the opposite of that! It even has you eating out at one meal a day, but eating healthy! Since this was not available online, I re-created the chart using the same foods and ideas. Enjoy!
(Click to make larger)

If you have allergies, are vegetarian, or are picky there are some easy substitutes that you can use instead!
Instead of Peanut Butter use Almond Butter
Instead of Shrimp you can use pieces of Fried Egg or tofu
Instead of turkey or turkey bacon you can use a soy imitation of either (for the vegetarians)

Your eat healthy checklist according to seventeen magazine:
"Build meals around fruits and veggies, then add the lean protien (like chicken, fish, and low-fat cheese) and a healthy carb (like whole wheat bread or pasta"

"Have two to three snacks a day (midmorning, afternoon, and after dinner) and grab a slice of fruit whenever your hungry. If you wait to eat until your starving, it just sets of cravings for sugary, greasy foods."

"If your an athlete, you may need more food for peak performance. Add an egg for protien at breakfast or an extra piece of fruit or yogurt between each meal."

"Aim for three or four servings of low-fat milk, yogurt, or cheese each day to get enough calcium. (It also helps with muscle tone)"

~All information from Seventeen Magazine. www.seventeen.com ~

Self Esteem & Confidence Tips

It’s easy to lose confidence in yourself or get low self esteem sometimes, but here are some tips that can help!

Make a “happy” playlist:
Make a playlist of your favorite songs that make you happy. Try and choose songs that have encouraging lyrics! When your having a down day turn on this playlist! Try not to listen to depressing songs all the time either, this puts you in a down mood.

Make a compliment list:
Make a list of all of the things you like about yourself, then tape it or hang it up somewhere that you will see it everyday! The best place to hang it is somewhere that you will see it before leaving your house for school in the morning (The bathroom mirror is actually a great place!)

Compliments instead of insults!
Replace personal insults with compliments or one of the things from you list ^^. Sometimes it becomes a habit to insult yourself without realizing your doing it. Try and break the habit by replacing any insults with a compliment or something you like about yourself!

Don’t doubt you who are
Always stay true to who you are and don’t doubt that. Don’t second guess who you are based on what others think!

Hang out with good people
Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself and compliment you. Don’t waste your time on those who make you feel bad or make you lose confidence in yourself!

Take care of YOU
Remember to take care of yourself, and sometimes a little pampering doesn’t hurt! ;) Take bubble baths, eat chocolate occasionally, wear lotion that smells good, write in a journal, etc!