By Shannon Turek
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31 Mar, 2024
I had posted on social media a few weeks back about how important accountability was for me to stick with my prayer routine. I talked about how I have an app that I listen to prayers & devotionals with. Every time I finished my prayers a notification would pop up praising me for the number of days in a row I had said my prayers. It was very motivating... for 60 days. Then last weekend, I didn't do any of my prayers. I lost my streak & I was more bummed than I care to admit. I fell off the prayer bandwagon. I stayed off for one more day. And then I got back on. I very easily could have said: "F*** it. Screw my prayer routine. I'm going to sleep in a little bit more. I already have to start over so why not wait a little longer?" But I didn't. And you don't have to either. Sound familiar? Falling off the fitness bandwagon (or any bandwagon for that matter) can happen to the best of us. Whether due to a busy schedule, lack of motivation, or unexpected life events, taking a hiatus from your fitness routine is not uncommon. However, getting back on the fitness bandwagon can seem daunting. But don't worry... I got you! Try any of these 9 effective tips to help you regain motivation and get back on that fitness bandwagon: Reflect on Your Why: Take some time to reflect on why you started your fitness journey in the first place. Reconnect with your original motivations can reignite your passion and remind you of the benefits of leading an active lifestyle. Start Small: Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to jump back on the bandwagon and go 100mph. Start small by setting achievable goals and gradually increasing the intensity and duration of your workouts as you regain momentum. Find an Accountability Partner: Enlist the support of a friend, family member, or workout buddy to hold you accountable and provide encouragement as you get back up. Having someone to share your progress and setbacks with can make the process feel less daunting. Mix It Up: If you quit fitness due to boredom or lack of excitement, consider trying new activities or exercise routines to mix it up. Experiment with different types of workouts, such as yoga, dance classes, or outdoor activities, to keep things fresh and enjoyable. Schedule Your Workouts: Treat your workouts like important appointments by scheduling them into your calendar. Setting aside dedicated time for exercise can help you prioritize fitness and establish a consistent routine. Set Realistic Goals: Set realistic and achievable fitness goals that align with your current fitness level and lifestyle. Break larger goals into smaller, manageable milestones to track your progress and celebrate your achievements along the way. Check out the blog post I wrote about setting fitness goals. Focus on the Benefits: Remind yourself of the countless benefits of regular exercise, including improved mood, increased energy levels, and better overall health. Keeping the positive outcomes of fitness in mind can help motivate you to lace up your sneakers and get moving. Be Kind to Yourself: Avoid dwelling on past setbacks or feeling guilty for falling off the bandwagon. Practice self-compassion and treat yourself with kindness as you work towards hopping back on the bandwagon. 9. Celebrate Your Progress: Celebrate even the smallest victories and milestones as you get back up. Whether it's completing a workout, hitting a new personal best, or simply showing up consistently, acknowledge and celebrate your progress as you work towards your goals. Let's get you back on the fitness bandwagon! I'm curious... share the tip you are most excited to try in the comments below!
Have you discovered a fantastic way to dehydrate fruit and make fruit powders? But are you confused about how to use it? Here are ways to use fruit powder to give your dehydrated fruit a second life!
Have you ever had a dehydrating project not go quite the way you’d hoped or found that you might not have liked the texture? Or maybe you’ve created fruit chips instead of fruit leather and don’t want to throw them away?
After discovering how easy it is to make and use dehydrated fruit powders, I threw those dried blackberries into my blender and fell in love. Blackberry yogurt made with blackberry powder is now a staple in our breakfast menu.
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So don’t waste a dehydrating project simply because you didn’t like the outcome. Give the dehydrated fruit a new life by making it a versatile fruit powder!
Just in case you’ve never experienced the magic of creating fruit powder from dehydrated fruit or fruit leathers, here’s how to do it:
If you want to skip the dehydrating fruit step – make a puree of your fruit, dry the puree until it breaks apart (not fruit leather, but fruit chips!) and then powder those chips.
LEARN MORE: How to Keep Powders from Clumping
Link to HZL BIO
Additional Tips:
Fruit powders can be used in so many ways to extend flavor and nutrition to everyday foods. You can also elevate the look and style of things like cocktails, breads, etc..
You can add the intensifying flavor of fruit powder to:
Make sure to experiment with the addition of powder to a baked item. You may need to add extra moisture as the powder will use some to hydrate itself.
Helpful Tip: Do you want to know a secret? You can also add vegetable powder to your breads and batters; no one will know that there are veggies in their muffins or pancakes! You can experiment with quantities by adding just a tablespoon to a recipe (which equals about 1 cup of fresh vegetables) and increase as you wish.
Use fruit powders in these dessert items to not only change colors, but also give an intensity of flavor to them, as well.
The above photo is a sample conversion of fruit to dehydrated fruit to fruit powder – using dehydrated raspberries as an example.
Dry rubs and seasoning blends can elevate the flavor of your favorite meats or dishes. Consider a few of these for your next meal prep:
Remember that fruit powders don’t dissolve the way drink mixes do, so you will want to keep that in mind as you do drink mixes. They powder will certainly infuse your beverage, but it will leave fiber in your drink.
TIP: to get dissolvable fruit powder, you need to start with fruit juice.
Fruit powders are best kept in airtight containers. You may find clumping or caking an issue because of the sugar content of fruit powders compared to vegetable powders. You can use a desiccant pack to help remove any moisture and various methods such as arrowroot powder, reblending, or other methods to help with clumping. Apple and banana powders are especially susceptible; these tips may help you.
Fruit powders last about 6-9 months in most cases. You should consider storing the whole dried fruit for a longer shelf-life and powdering on demand (1-2 month supply) for the short term.
This process translates to just about every fruit powder that you want to use.
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Fruit powders, like ground spices and herbs, don’t have as long of a shelf life as their whole counterparts. Six to nine months is the time given by the National Center for Home Food Preservation for powders.
Properly dried, conditioned, and stored fruit powder has a shelf life of up to a year. It lasts longer, but you can see a reduced quality, color, and perhaps even texture (clumping) over time. It is always best to keep dried fruit whole and grind for shorter-term use if possible.
The best machine to powder fruits is tall and narrow, like a blender, versus wide, like a food processor.
Pulsing is the best way to help this issue, instead of a continual mode. High speed, cyclonic blenders will work better than smaller motor machines but aren’t necessary. I used a Ninja blender for years before switching to my Nutri-Ninja earlier this year.
As with any dehydrated foods, Vitamins A & C are lost with longer processes under the typical drying temperature of 135°F/57°C. You can dry at below 115°F/46°C to keep all the nutrients (but know you’ll lose those through cooking/baking if you use the powder that way.
Do dehydrated fruit powders work in smoothies?Yes! These aren’t the same as using something like Athletic Greens and don’t dissolve as much as rehydrate, so they won’t just mix up in water. But they will work in smoothies great!
Dehydrating fruit is a wonderful way to preserve fruit for your pantry. It encourages less waste, gives you healthy afterschool snacks, and allows you to build a long-term storage pantry full of nutritional options.
But don’t settle just for dehydrated fruit. Experiment with some of the 25+ uses listed above and see how far you can take your next steps in making full use of your dehydrator and the food you preserve with it!
What are some of your favorite ways if you already use fruit powders? We’d love to learn more uses!
Want to learn more about dehydrating? Here’s The Ultimate Do Not Dehydrate List.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Passion Fruit Powder. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.