Quick, it’s Christmas morning, the kids are going bonkers, Santa and Rudolph departed hours ago (wink, wink), and you have a house full of hungry guests to feed – what do you do? Simple: Bake up a batch or two of these delectable and healthy double chocolate peppermint donuts to tide everyone over ’til lunch. Santa would certainly approve.

A few weeks back our editor assigned me the task of dreaming up a “Christmas morning recipe” and my mind immediately went to something sweet. Two things you should know about me are that 1) I absolutely adore donuts, and 2) there’s nothing I crave more during the holidays than all-things chocolate and peppermint. These cravings came together to form one amazing recipe that is perfectly suited for your holiday breakfast table. 
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By Bob Greene for TheBestLife.com

I’m a big fan of breakfast—in fact, starting off each day with a healthy, balanced breakfast is one of the key guidelines on my Best Life plan. A morning meal jump-starts your metabolism, delivers some much-needed energy after a night’s rest and can help with weight loss.

Don’t think you have the time? Check out these five dishes, which you can throw together in five minutes or less.

Speedy Cereal

Be picky about what you pour into your bowl. Our guidelines: Opt for a cereal that has at least 4 grams of fiber, no more than 5 grams of sugar, and no more than 120 milligrams sodium per 100 calories. (Click here for a list of healthy cereal choices.) Top it off with fat-free or one-percent milk or calcium-enriched soy milk. To add more nutrients and flavor, top with some fresh fruit or a tablespoon or two of nuts. Or try this shortcut: Mix a few healthy cereals together, put them in a re-sealable plastic bag, and go.
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We are hours away from the weekend, which means it is time for your weekly dose of healthy news! This week we have rounded up stories from Entertainment Weekly, Best Life Diet, and Yahoo! Shine. And while Halloween may be over, we’ve got treats that can be made with your leftover candy.

Eating Healthy on $12 Per Day Food Stamp Budget is Impossible and How the Next President May Make it Worse

With the elections coming up, government programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, could be changed drastically. DIR’s staff writer Lacy J. Hansen tried to feed her family healthy meals on a food stamp budget and barely made it. Read about Lacy’s food stamp project and tell us what you think!

Vanessa Lembo Lost 120 Pounds After Deciding She Was Worth The Change

This week’s true weight loss story features Vanessa from Upstate New York. After Vanessa’s mother’s passed, she knew she had to start living a healthy life. She ditched the bags of Dove chocolate for cardio and weight training. Tell us what you think about Vanessa’s weight loss journey!

Kids Sell Halloween Candy for Cash at Dental Buy Back Programs Across the Country

There is a new trend sweeping the nation – kids selling their Halloween candy back to dentist offices. Tooth decay and cavities are a result of children eating loads of Halloween candy. We found one kid who received $22 for selling his Halloween candy to a local dentist office! This is a neat way to get rid of the sugar high will still giving them a reason to celebrate.
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It’s the final Friday of the month! The weekend is approaching in a few hours and that means it is time for a dose of healthy news from DIR and our friends. So take some time out of your schedule to read the headlines from this week!

Announcing Baker’s Dozen: Our First eCookbook with 13 Healthier Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

We have launched our first ever eCookbook with 13 different recipes! The eCookbook is filled with healthy and delicious breakfast and brunch recipes and it only costs $1.99! Each dish is fresh, flavorful, and pretty easy to make! Download the eCookbook now because the first 100 get some cool prizes!

John Thompson’s 202 Pound Weight Loss Story

Imagine losing 200 pounds! John Thompson did just that after two years of exercising and eating a healthy diet. A few weeks ago John finished his first half marathon, too! Read more to learn about the small steps John took to achieve a healthy life.

7 Facts About GMOs to Convince You to Vote Yes on 37

Earlier this week I had to explain what a GMO is to 90 college students. It shocked me to see how many people didn’t understand what GMO is and the health risks it poses. If you do not know the facts about GMO then check out our list of 7 things you need to know. Read why voting yes to Prop 37 can help Americans see what they are putting into their bodies.
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I’ve loved pancakes for what seems like forever and have held them in high esteem as my favorite breakfast ever since I was a kid. Perhaps that’s the reason they were the only item my mom could make – besides brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts – that was able to lure me out of bed in the morning for school. Somehow, 7 a.m. seemed a little more manageable if a stack of warm pancakes and maple syrup were greeting me at the breakfast table.

This love for flapjacks has led my friends to count me as the official “pancake queen” in our social circle, and they always seem to seek my expertise when they’re getting ready to cook up a batch of their own. While pancakes may have gained a bad reputation for being overly sweet and not the most nutritious breakfast dish on the block, it’s my conviction that they can actually be made quite healthy with a few simple tweaks.

In testing countless recipes and variations of pancakes myself, I’ve found that you can health-ify just about any pancake recipe out there and even make it vegan-friendly, gluten-free and far lower in calories, fat, and sugar than many would suspect while still maintaining amazing flavor and texture.

To help you get a leg up on the healthy pancake movement, I’ve compiled a list of seven simple says to “Pimp Your Pancake” and boost their healthy reputation on your breakfast table. With these easy-to-follow tips you’ll learn how to add more protein, flavor, and heartier texture to your pancakes without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. Click the slideshow to get started!

 Download Baker’s Dozen: 13 Healthier Breakfast & Brunch Recipes, our new e-cookbook including a recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pancakes!