Though millions make New Year resolutions to eat healthy and lose weight, it’s not always easy when your body is craving postres. Fortunately, you can reach your goals and satisfy your sweet tooth. “With the popularity of gluten-free and the “Paleo diet,” baking substitutes for flour, sugars, oils and dairy are easy to find at your local store,” says Maribel Marmol, healthy food blogger at food 4 thought NYC.

Substitutes:

• Whole-wheat flour or coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour to increase your fiber intake, keeping you fuller longer.

• Fruit, such as applesauce or crushed pineapple to replace the empty calories of refined sugars. These fruits pack in vitamins and minerals, while making cakes and cookies moist and flavorful.

• Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, whole milk or cream cheese. This ingredient has the added benefit of calcium and protein without the high calories.

Healthy French Toast Recipe to Try:

Gluten-free Peach French Toast with Cardamom

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 8 to 10 slices

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/8 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Peach Sauce

3 peaches, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

French Toast

2 eggs

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

Optional: Maple syrup and Greek yogurt for topping

Directions:

Prepare ingredients and grease 8”x4”x2.5” loaf pan for bread. This step can be done one or two days before. Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet to the dry and mix well. The batter will be thick by the time you’re done. Add batter to a greased loaf pan and place in heated oven. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool completely before removing it from the pan. *Note: Since this is gluten-free bread, the loaf will not rise like regular wheat-based breads. Doesn’t make it any less tasty, but you should have a heads up! Heat a small saucepan or frying pan over low to medium heat. Add sliced peaches, spices, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir until the peaches start to disintegrate and the juices are bubbling. Remove from heat. Cut thick slices of cooled coconut flax bread. Mix French toast ingredients in a shallow bowl. Add bread slices and cover with mixture on all sides. Allow it to soak while heating a medium frying pan with coconut oil over medium heat. Once hot, add up to three slices to the pan with tongs. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until slightly browned. Arrange toast slices on a plate, top with peaches, syrup and yogurt. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top. Serve!

Healthy Cake Recipe to Try:

Upside Down Strawberry Cake

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 12 to 14 pieces

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 cup strawberries, sliced

Drizzle of honey

Cake

1 cup unblanched almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add butter to an eight-inch cake pan and place in oven. Once melted, swirl butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan and set aside. Whisk all the dry ingredients in one bowl (coconut flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt). In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix the wet ingredients (coconut oil, eggs, honey, vanilla) together thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the Greek yogurt and mix well, creating a thick batter. Sprinkle the coconut flour into the pan over the butter and drizzle with honey. Place the sliced strawberries along the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Scoop the batter over the strawberries and level out with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean from the center. Remove and allow it to cool for 15 minutes before flipping the cake out onto a serving plate.

When it comes to ejercicio, las comidas you eat before and after a workout can maximize the results of your exercise routine. Coach Yarixa Ferrao, a certified personal trainer who has appeared on MTV’s I Used to Be Fat, tells Las Fabulosas how to get the best workout results from your food.

Your Morning Workout

Pre-Workout Food: Consuming protein before workouts has many benefits. “Amino acids, which make up protein, repair and recover muscle for muscle gain. And muscle gain means burning fat,” says Ferrao. Protein will also help keep you full for longer while burning more fat and increasing lean body mass. For faster fat loss, Ferrao recommends starting with a cup of green tea or an organic, grass-fed whey protein shake, 10-30 minutes prior to working out.

Post-Workout Food: For a filling morning protein kick, consume one or two hardboiled eggs or eggs over easy. If your body is craving more, a fuller breakfast can also include healthy oatmeal and fruit. “Body awareness is key, so go with what it craves,” says Ferrao.

Your Afternoon Workout

Pre-Workout Food: Performance-wise, your body will usually work best with a quick energy-boosting carbohydrate such as rice, a muscle-building protein such as chicken, and a little fat like coconut oil or an avocado slice two hours prior to a workout, says Ferrao.

Other combination meals include a protein shake with a can of wild tuna and garlic spread; asparagus wrapped with ham slices; and corn or rice cakes with almond butter or ham slices.

Post-Workout Food: “You don’t need to eat the minute you stop working out,” says Ferrao. “Wait until your body signals hunger and is ready to receive nutrients.” After your workout, Ferrao recommends another protein shake combined with almond milk or coconut water. You can also add some berries or almond butter for a more filling drink. “For weight loss and to drop body fat while gaining lean muscle, eat foods that energize you during the day without depleting or taking away energy at night, at least two hours prior to bed time,” says Ferrao. This can include a protein, veggie and a carbohydrate such as rice or potatoes. “This allows the body to be hormonally balanced and in sync with your daily activities.”

What do new mamis and Hollywood celebs have in common? When stars are on set or traveling the globe -- just like new moms -- they often have little extra time or energy.

That’s why Ramona Braganza, a former NFL cheerleader and gymnast, developed her popular “3-2-1 Training Method,” which is fast and uses minimal equipment -- perfect for an at-home workout.

The workout is easy to follow: three sets of cardio routines (such as running, hiking and cycling), two circuits (such as situps and squat jumps), and one set of core exercises (such as pushups) -- 3-2-1!

Braganza advises new moms to get back in the exercise game as soon as a doctor gives them the thumbs up. “My clients, Jessica Alba and Halle Berry, both started working out gently after two weeks.”

Braganza suggests starting with just 20 minutes of her hugely popular “3-2-1 Baby Bulge Be Gone” program, which focuses on strengthening core muscles for a flatter stomach. The idea is to get into a training schedule -- a switch for mommies who haven’t been working their abs for almost a year.

After getting into a rhythm for about a month, it’s time to tackle weight loss. Braganza recommends cardio-intensive exercises, like dancing or kickboxing. You’ll then move into an hour-long workout to build muscle and tone your body.

Braganza cautions new moms to not burn too many calories, which can stop lactation. “Monitor your health closely, consume good-quality foods, eat frequently and stay hydrated,” she says. You’ll go from soccer mom to sexy mom in no time!

According to Dr. America Bracho, one of the most difficult things that Latinos face today is learning to manage their weight. That’s why the Venezolana executive director of Latino Health Access in California has developed Peso Saludable, a one-year bilingual program that’s helping parents and their children achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Generally speaking, obesity is rampant in the Latino community, and diabetes -- which can lead to terrifying prospects such as blindness or limb amputations -- is an epidemic. Where Bracho is based, in Santa Anna, Calif., she’s at a ground zero of sorts for poor eating and obesity. The good doctor has her work cut out for her: In the community, residents have limited access to affordable healthy foods, parks and even physical education in schools.

Bracho’s Peso Saludable program combats the effects of obesity, which include both physical (diabetes, heart disease, joint problems) and mental (low self-esteem) symptoms. The bilingual, one-on-one counseling helps families learn not only how to eat better and exercise, but also helps facilitate these goals. For instance, if parents can’t find a place to exercise, they’ll help them find one.

In addition, families receive mentorship and guidance from promotores (community health workers) who visit homes to provide personalized coaching. They offer advice and solutions on real issues that affect obesity, including discipline, good habits and even safety in some instances. 

Most importantly, families and individuals learn to become advocates themselves, sharing what they’ve learned with others in their community. This idea is paramount to Bracho’s philosophy and success: She’s called participation one of the keys to her "subscription to obesity," an organizational method she learned in her native Venezuela, which she’s found fosters good health.

Milly Almodóvar, founder and editor of Beauty Logic Blog, is passionate about the latest beauty trends and tips from around the world. Here, she shares big and small ways to pamper yourself this spring.

 

Make Time for Yourself

“As a mom, wife and beauty editor, life is busy. But, on Sunday, no matter what, I take time for myself. Whether it's making my own hair mask with coconut oil and honey or watching a Lifetime movie, I make sure that I have those moments alone. They are important for the soul.”

Have Fun with Your Makeup

“A lot of women use the same makeup [in spring] that they use during the winter. Switch it up. You might want to invest in a darker foundation or newer creams. Or switch your dark lips to brighter ones. I'm all about neon oranges this season. They look amazing on warmer skin tones.”

Meditate

“I have a girlfriend who is always so calm and collected. I asked for her secret, and she told me that she meditates every morning. At first I thought she was crazy. But I was so stressed out one day that I decided to try it. I went to a dark room, lit a candle and just did it. Now I'm hooked. I'm finding that life isn't so stressful.”

Find Time to Work Out

“A lot of women I know don't work out because they claim they don't have time or the money. To me, if you really want to work out, you will. I do most of my exercise at home. So when my son goes to sleep, I'll grab some weights and get a workout in. I've learned that working out will not only make you look good, but feel good.”

Make Time for Friends and Family

“I used to think I was too busy to see my family and friends. I was so focused on my career, but when I did find time to spend with them, I noticed that I was much happier afterwards. So now, I see them at least once a week. There are times where I have felt like nothing in the world was going right, or maybe I wasn't where I should be in my life. One visit to my family and friends, and I felt like I could do anything.”